He died in 1893. Hayes refused renomination by the Republican Party in 1880, contenting himself with one term as president. His promise not to interfere with elections in the former Confederacy ensured a return there of traditional white Democratic supremacy. In retirement he devoted himself to humanitarian causes, notably prison reform and educational opportunities for Southern black youth. Hayes had announced in advance that he would serve only one term, and retired to Spiegel Grove, his home in Fremont, Ohio, in 1881. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? Northern Republicans had been promising southern Democrats at least one Cabinet post, Federal patronage, subsidies for internal improvements, and withdrawal of troops from Louisiana and South Carolina. Political party: Republican: Spouse(s) Lucy Webb Ware Hayes: Rutherford Birchard Hayes (October 4, 1822 - January 17, 1893) was the 19th President of the United States. He was actually a distinguished war hero. Others have claimed that the Hayes were trying to stop dry Republicans from joining the Prohibition Party. Davis refused to serve, however, and the Republican Joseph P. Bradley was named in his place. 1876: Democrat Samuel Tilden beat Republican Rutherford B. Hayes by more than 200,000 votes. … Hayes’s election depended upon contested electoral votes in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida. Hayes was a Republican. The ensuing electoral dispute became known as the Tilden-Hayes affair. He never allowed his injuries to hold him back for long and was always committed to the Union. In 1876, Hayes was elected president after winning a close race against the Democratic nominee, Samuel J. Tild… On the evening of the 1876 election, Democrat Samuel J. Tilden appeared to be the clear winner with 184 of the 185 required electoral votes. Rutherford B. Hayes, photograph by Mathew B. Brady. Sort of moderate Republican, but conservative on fiscal and pro-business issues. Below is an abbreviated outline of Hayes' professional and political career: 1. 1842: Graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio 3. He opposed Governor Samuel J. Tilden of New York. Rutherford B. Hayes > Years served: 1877-1881 > Best performing category: Administrative skills (49.8) > Worst performing category: Pursued equal justice for all (38.0) > Party … Rutherford B. Hayes was certified as president on March 2, 1877. At the start of the American Civil War in … Hayes refused renomination by the Republican Party in 1880, contenting himself with one term as president. Rutherford B. Hayes, America's 19th President, served as chief executive at the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of the modern industrial age. Instead of giving federal jobs to political supporters, Hayes wished to award them by merit according to an examination that all applicants would take. In 1864, when Hayes was still on the battlefield defending the North, the Republican Party in Cincinnati nominated him for Congress. The election of 1876 between Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden of New York was one of the most hostile, controversial campaigns in American history. Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes ended the evening with 165 electoral votes, twenty short of those required to win. President Hayes (served 1877–81) willingly carried out the commitments made by his friends to secure the disputed Southern votes needed for his election. 1850-1… Fought gallantly in the American Civil War. Competing sets of election returns and electoral votes were sent to Congress to be counted in January 1877, so Congress voted to create a bipartisan commission of 15 members of Congress and Supreme Court justices to determine how to allocate the electors from the three disputed states. Test your knowledge of U.S. presidents and first ladies with this in-depth quiz. Months of uncertainty followed. It also provides access to the full-text of The Diary and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes, Nineteenth President of the United States, which includes entries related to the election of 1876 in volume III. He served only one term, from 1877 to 1881. The phrase “New Frontier” is associated with which U.S. president? But in New York, Republican National Chairman Zachariah Chandler, aware of a loophole, wired leaders to stand firm: “Hayes has 185 votes and is elected.” The popular vote apparently was 4,300,000 for Tilden to 4,036,000 for Hayes. Who was “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”? By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. These policies aroused the animosity of a conservative Republican faction known as the Stalwarts, who were further antagonized by the president’s efforts to reform the civil service by substituting nonpartisan examinations for political patronage. After combat service with the Union army, he was elected to Congress (1865–67) and then to the Ohio governorship (1868–76). In 1861, he was a Republican ca… Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Having regarded abolitionists as too radical, Hayes had been a moderately antislavery Whig in politics. In January 1877 Congress established an Electoral Commission to decide the dispute. In retirement he devoted himself to humanitarian causes, notably prison reform and educational opportunities for Southern black youth. As president, Hayes promptly made good on the secret pledges made during the electoral dispute. His reputation grew during the 1840s, ultimately earning him an appointment to be the Assistant US District Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1848-1853. He accepted the nomination, but would not campaign, explaining, “an officer fit for duty who at this crisis would abandon his post to electioneer… ought to be scalped.”. However, he was wounded in a battle after being promoted to major general. Hayes was the son of Rutherford Hayes, a farmer, and Sophia Birchard. Learn more about Rutherford B. Hayes’s spouse. Primary Sources. The table provides a list of cabinet members in the administration of President Rutherford B. Hayes.