Rutherford B. Hayes – 19

Rutherford B. Hayes was the 19th President of the United States of America. He served as the President from 1877 to 1881.

He was accused of winning the Presidential election through fraud. His Presidency is known for being the time when the Reconstruction Era in the southern states came to an end.

When and where was he born?

Rutherford B. Hayes was born on October 4, 1822 in Delaware, Ohio.

Early Life

Rutherford B. Hayes gained early education at a school near his home in Delaware, Ohio. He was a smart student from the very beginning and had a keen interest in learning.

He graduated from the Kenyan College in 1842. After his graduation, he developed an interest in law. So he studied law at Harvard Law School and after passing the bar exam, started practicing law in 1845.

As a lawyer, Rutherford B. Hayes was famous for helping the slaves who ran away from the slave states and came to Cincinnati which was a free state. He helped in securing the freedom of many runaway slaves in this way.

Life during the Civil War

In 1861, American Civil War broke out. This war was fought between the northern and the southern states. Rutherford B. Hayes opposed slavery, so he was on the side of the northern states.

He enlisted in the Union army and fought in many battles during the war. He was wounded many times during the war and was known for his fearlessness and valor on the battlefield. Due to his battlefield valor, he was quickly promoted and soon reached the rank of Major General.

While the Civil War was still going on, the Republicans nominated Hayes as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. Although he didn’t take part in the campaign, he won the election. This was the beginning of his political career. He was later appointed as the Governor of Ohio.

Life as the President

Rutherford B. Hayes was elected the President in 1876. Initially, no one knew who had won the elections because the result was very close.

Another candidate, Samuel Tiden, had garnered more votes than Hayes. But the result of some votes was still unclear. When the Congress made its decision regarding those votes, the total number of votes gained by Hayes increased and so, he won the elections.

The southern states were not happy with the result, so Hayes reached a compromise with them. He agreed to remove the federal troops from the southern states and in return for this, the southern states agreed to accept him as the President.

Hayes continued to work for the rights of the black citizens during his Presidency. But after the federal troops had been removed and the Reconstruction Era had ended, southern states were able to block his efforts effectively.

Later Life and Death

Rutherford B. Hayes didn’t run for a second term. He continued to work on civil causes until the end of his life. He died on January 17, 1893 in Fremont, Ohio.

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