Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford Birchard Hayes (October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was the 19th president of the United States, serving from 1877 to 1881. Born in Delaware, Ohio, Hayes was the son of Rutherford Ezekiel Hayes, Jr., and Sophia Birchard. His father, a Vermont storekeeper, died ten weeks before Rutherford's birth in 1822. His mother raised him and his sister, Fanny, and remained unmarried after her husband's death. Hayes was descended from New England colonists; his ancestors included Irish, Scottish, and English lineages. His maternal uncle, Sardis Birchard, who co-owned a business in Vermont, lived with the family and served as a paternal figure.

Hayes attended common schools in Delaware, Ohio, before enrolling at the Norwalk Seminary in 1836. In 1837, he transferred to the Webb School in Middletown, Connecticut, where he studied Latin and Greek. He later attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, beginning in 1838. An accomplished student, Hayes graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1842, delivering the valedictory address. Subsequently, he studied law at Harvard Law School, earning his LL.B., and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1845. He initially established a law practice in Lower Sandusky (now Fremont), Ohio.

In 1850, Hayes moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he partnered with John W. Herron in a law firm. He later formed a partnership with William K. Rogers and Richard M. Corwine. His legal career included commercial law and criminal defense, notably defending individuals accused of murder. Hayes also represented escaped slaves in Cincinnati, which was a key point along the Underground Railroad, and defended cases under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

Hayes married Lucy Webb on December 30, 1852. Lucy was known for her Methodist faith and abolitionist views. They had three sons: Birchard Austin (born 1853), Webb Cook (born 1856), and Rutherford Platt (born 1858). Lucy influenced Hayes's views on abolition and social issues, although he did not formally join the Methodist church.

Politically, Hayes was aligned with the Republican Party's "Half-Breed" faction. His early political roles included serving as Cincinnati's city solicitor from 1858 to 1861. During the Civil War, Hayes left his legal practice to join the Union Army. He initially hesitated about conflict but enlisted after the attack on Fort Sumter. Hayes served with distinction, was wounded five times, and rose to the rank of brevet major general. His most serious injury occurred at the Battle of South Mountain in 1862.

Following the war, Hayes served in the U.S. Congress from 1865 to 1867 and was elected governor of Ohio, serving two full terms from 1868 to 1872 and part of a third term from 1876 to 1877. In the 1876 presidential election, Hayes secured the Republican nomination and defeated Democratic nominee Samuel J. Tilden in the electoral college after a disputed election, which was ultimately resolved by the Compromise of 1877. The compromise resulted in Hayes becoming president in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.

During his presidency, Hayes emphasized meritocratic government and equal treatment regardless of social standing or race. His administration faced significant events, such as the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, which he resolved by deploying the U.S. Army. He appointed John Marshall Harlan to the U.S. Supreme Court and implemented civil service reforms that laid the groundwork for future improvements. Hayes vetoed the Bland–Allison Act of 1878, although Congress overrode his veto. He arbitrated territorial disputes and adopted policies toward Native Americans that anticipated later assimilation efforts.

Hayes declined to seek re-election after his term and retired to Ohio. Historians generally regard his presidency as average or below average in ranking.