POTUS

Rutherford B. Hayes: AP US History Rundown

Overview

Rutherford B. Hayes served as the 19th POTUS of the United States from 1877 to 1881. His presidency is most notably associated with the end of Reconstruction, civil service reform, and efforts to restore respect for the office after the tumultuous years of Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant.

Key Events and Associations

• Election of 1876: This election was one of the most disputed in American history. Hayes, the Republican candidate, ran against Samuel Tilden, the Democratic candidate. Tilden won the popular vote, but the electoral vote was contested, particularly in states like Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina.

  • Compromise of 1877: To resolve the contested election, a deal was struck. In exchange for Democratic support in confirming Hayes as president, Republicans agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction. This compromise is heavily associated with Hayes’s rise to the presidency and its consequences.

• The End of Reconstruction: With the withdrawal of federal troops, the remaining Republican state governments in the South collapsed, allowing white Democrats to regain control. This led to the implementation of Jim Crow Laws and the disenfranchisement of African Americans, undoing much of the progress made during Reconstruction.

• Great Railroad Strike of 1877: This was the first major labor strike in the Industrial Revolution. Hayes deployed federal troops to suppress the strike, demonstrating the government’s willingness to intervene on behalf of business interests.

Important Legislation and Actions

• Civil Service Reform: Hayes advocated for civil service reform to combat the widespread corruption in the government. He appointed reformers to his cabinet and attempted to implement a merit-based system for federal jobs. While his efforts were not fully successful during his term, they laid the groundwork for the Pendleton Act of 1883.

• Resumption of Specie Payments Act (1875): While passed before Hayes’s presidency, the implementation of this act fell to his administration. It aimed to restore the value of the greenback dollar to its pre-Civil War level, which caused some initial economic hardship but ultimately stabilized the economy.

Groups and Affiliations

• Republicans: Hayes was a staunch Republican and believed in the party’s principles of national unity and economic development. However, he also sought to bridge the divide between North and South.
• Temperance Movement: Hayes and his wife, Lucy Ware Webb Hayes, were strong supporters of the temperance movement. This led to the banning of alcohol from the White House, earning Lucy the nickname “Lemonade Lucy.”

Impact on the Country

• End of Reconstruction: Hayes’s presidency marked the formal end of Reconstruction. While intended to heal the nation, it effectively abandoned African Americans in the South to a system of oppression and segregation.
• Civil Service Reform: His efforts at civil service reform, though limited, were a crucial step toward a more professional and efficient federal bureaucracy.
• Economic Policy: The implementation of the Resumption Act helped stabilize the national economy, contributing to long-term growth.
• Public Image: Hayes restored a sense of dignity and integrity to the presidency after the scandals of the Grant administration.