Rutherford B. Hayes (1822 – 1893) [cite this] More images » Life in Brief: The policies of Rutherford B. Hayes, America's nineteenth President, began to heal the nation after the ravages of the Civil War. He was well suited to the task, having earned a steadfast reputation for integrity throughout his career as a soldie… more life in brief » Essays about Rutherford B. Hayes Life in Brief Life in Brief: The policies of Rutherford B. Hayes, America's nineteenth President, began to heal the nation after the ravages of the Civil War. He was well suited to the task, having earned a steadfast reputation for integrity throughout his career as a soldier and a statesman. Upstanding, moral, and honest, … Life Before the Presidency Life Before the Presidency: Born on October 4, 1822 Rutherford Birchard Hayes, called "Rud" as a child, was named for his father and grandfather. His American roots traced back to 1680's New England. Five years before Rud's birth, his parents fled the poor economy there and resettled in Delaware, Ohio, just n… Campaigns and Elections Campaigns and Elections: The Campaign and Election of 1876: By 1875, the Republican party was in trouble. A severe economic depression followed the Panic of 1873 and scandals in the Grant administration had tarnished the party's reputation; falling crop prices, rising unemployment, and corruption in high places boded i…Domestic Affairs Domestic Affairs: Delivered on March 5—since March 4 was a Sunday—Rutherford B. Hayes’s inaugural address tried to calm the nation and make clear his main policy concerns. According to the new President, “The fact that two great political parties have in this way settled a dispute in regard to which good men …Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs: During the Hayes administration, the United States had few problems with foreign governments and little inclination to become an imperialist power. The problems involved Mexican bandits, who ignored the border between the United States and Mexico; Californians, who ignored the Burlingame Treaty and …Life After the Presidency Life After the Presidency: The one-term pledge may not have been a wise political decision, but Hayes and Lucy had no regrets. Four years in the eye of the stormhad been sufficient for them both. Alexander Stephens, once the vice president of the Confederacy, spoke for many when he said he had never seen a President leave…Family Life Family Life: Reflecting Lucy’s spirit, the Hayes White House was lively and informal. A superb contralto who accompanied herself on the guitar, Lucy filled the executive mansion with music. Vocalists and instrumentalists performed popular, folk, and classical music. On Sunday evenings, Lucy led a “sing” in…The American Franchise The American Franchise: The Hayes presidency was an important chapter in African American history. Civil rights spokesman Frederick Douglass became the first black man to address a major party convention when he urged racial equality at the 1876 Republican convention which nominated Hayes. However, the backlash against new…Impact and Legacy Impact and Legacy: After finding “the country divided and distracted and every interest depressed,” Hayes was proud that, upon leaving the White House, he “left it united, harmonious, and prosperous.” He had found the Republican party “discordant, disheartened, and weak,” and left it “strong, confident, … About His Administration First Lady Lucy Hayes Vice President William A. Wheeler (1877–1881) Secretary of State William M. Evarts (1877–1881) Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz (1877–1881) Attorney General Charles Devens (1877–1881) Postmaster General Horace Maynard (1880–1881) David M. Key (1877–1880) Secretary of the Treasury John Sherman (1877–1881) Secretary of the Navy Nathan Goff Jr. (1881) Richard W. Thompson (1877–1880) Secretary of War Alexander Ramsey (1879–1881) George W. McCrary (1877–1879) Facts about Rutherford B. Hayes Term: 19th President of the United States (1877 – 1881) Born: October 4, 1822, Delaware, Ohio Political Party: Republican Died: January 17, 1893 Nickname: “Dark-Horse President,” “Rud” Education: Kenyon College (graduated 1842), Harvard Law School (graduated 1845) Religion: Methodist Marriage: December 30, 1852, to Lucy Ware Webb (1831–1889) Children: Birchard Austin (1853–1926), James Webb Cook (1856–1934), Rutherford Platt (1858–1927), Joseph Thompson (1861–1863), George Crook (1864–1866), Fanny (1867–1950), Scott Russell (1871–1923), Manning Force (1873–1874) Career: Lawyer Buried: Spiegel Grove State Park, Fremont, Ohio WritingsDiary and Letters (5 vols., 1922–26), ed. by Charles R. Williams Rutherford B. Hayes Image Gallery More images » Citation Information Consulting Editor Ari Hoogenboom Professor Hoogenboom is a professor emeritus of history at Brooklyn College, The City University of New York (CUNY). His writings include: Rutherford B. Hayes: "One of the Good Colonels" (McWhiney Foundation Press, 1999) Rutherford B. Hayes: Warrior and President (University Press of Kansas, 1995) The Presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes (part of the American Presidency Series, University Press of Kansas, 1988) Outlawing the Spoils: A History of the Civil Service Reform Movement, 1865–1883 (University of Illinois Press, 1961) James A. Garfield » « Ulysses S. Grant American President has changed! Click here to take a short survey and tell us what you think!