Rutherford B. Hayes

Lore & Background

Rutherford B. His father died ten weeks before his birth. During the Civil War, he joined the Union army, was wounded five times, and rose to brevet major general.

Reader's Guide

Hayes's presidency is significant for its contested beginning and its role in ending Reconstruction. The existence of this deal remains heavily disputed. His administration faced the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, which he resolved by calling in the U.S. Army, resulting in the deadliest conflict between workers and strikebreakers in American history. He kept his pledge not to seek reelection and retired to Ohio. Historians generally rank him as average to below-average.

Did You Know?

• Hayes won the 1876 presidential election despite losing the popular vote to Samuel J. Tilden; the Compromise of 1877 resolved the dispute by selecting Hayes as the winner.
• The Compromise of 1877 forced federal troops to withdraw from the Southern United States, marking the end of the Reconstruction Era.
• During the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, President Hayes called in the armed forces to suppress the rebellion.
• Hayes was wounded five times while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, rising to brevet major general.