Rutherford B. Hayes facts for kids
Rutherford B. Hayes Facts For Kids - social studies skills studied in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th grades.
The 19th President of the USA
The 19th President of the USA was Rutherford B. Hayes. He had also served the country in other distinguished posts – military, legal, congressional and as the governor of Ohio. He had famously said, “He serves his party best who serves his country best.”
Early Life
Rutherford B. Hayes was born on 4th October 1822 in Delaware in Ohio. His parents were Rutherford Hayes, Jr. and Sophia Birchard. His father had died 10 weeks before his birth. His mother brought him and his sister Fanny up single-handedly.
Hayes had attended several schools. He graduated from the Kenyon College with the highest honors in the year 1842. Later he completed his L.L.B. from the Harvard Law School. He practiced law in Lower Sandusky (in Ohio) and later in Cincinnati where his practice flourished.
In Cincinnati, Hayes fought for the slaves who were accused under the Fugitive Slave Act (1850) and he was a strong supporter of “abolitionist” ideal. This ideology of his drawn him to the Republican Party.
Hayes married Lucy Webb in 1852. She had graduated from the Wesleyan Women's College of Cincinnati. Continue reading below>>>
Political Career
Hayes was an active participant in the American Civil War. He was promoted as the Major General in the army. During this time, he also got elected to the House of Representatives in the year 1865. He resigned from the post after 2 years. He became the governor of Ohio and served 3 terms.
In the year 1876, Hayes ran for the presidency of the USA. His main opponent was Samuel Tilden from the Democratic Party. This Presidential election is regarded as the “most controversial election” in the history of America. After much anticipation, Hayes was declared the President of the United States by the ad hoc electoral commission.
The reason for Hayes’s victory is owed to the Compromise of 1877. In this agreement, two things were promised to the Southern Democrats.
- Federal troops to be withdrawn from South Carolina and Louisiana; this step allowed home rule in South and put an end to the Reconstruction era effectively.
- The Democrats were promised a post in the Cabinet.
The first arrangement was a blow to all the equal rights progress made since the American Civil War. However, he did fight for the civil rights laws that were meant to protect the black Americans. Unfortunately, all his civil rights establishing moves were blocked by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives.
Hayes also fought for making merit as the criterion for civil-service appointments instead of political loyalty. However, the results of this fight were seen much later during the administration of President Chester A. Arthur.
Another challenge faced by the 19th President of USA was the Railroad Strike of 1877. The workers from Ohio and Baltimore protested a salary cut and walked off their jobs. Soon other workers across the country joined the strike. Hayes was able to get the workers back to their work by sending the federal troops to quell the riots.
Lucy Hayes, the First Lady of the White House was a follower of the temperance movement. Following his wife, Hayes implemented an “alcohol-free” policy in the White House.
After his retirement in 1881, Hayes advocated for several social issues such as prison reforms, children’s literacy and narrowing the divide between poor and rich Americans.
Hayes died on 17th January 1893, four years after his wife’s death.