Rutherford B. Hayes: The Most Disputed President | 5-Minute Videos
The election of Rutherford B. Hayes remains the single most disputed presidential outcome in American history—even more than the elections of the 21st century. What happened, and what were the consequences?
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Script:
On election night 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican candidate for president, went to bed firmly convinced he had lost.
Four months later, he walked into the White House as the 19th president of the United States. His ultimate victory remains the single most disputed presidential outcome in American history–more than Bush v. Gore in 2000, more than Trump v. Biden in 2020.
Hayes, the youngest of five children, was born on October 4, 1822, in a small town near Columbus, Ohio. His father had died two months earlier. His bachelor uncle, Sardis Birchard, a businessman and banker, became his guardian and surrogate father.
Like so many young Americans of his day, “Rud,” as he was called, was imbued with a tireless work ethic. He was a conscientious student, graduating from Kenyon College in Ohio in 1842 at the top of his class. Thanks to his uncle’s generosity, he graduated from Harvard Law School, where he also excelled.
By 1849, Hayes had started a successful law practice in the rapidly growing city of Cincinnati. Strongly opposed to slavery, he defended many runaway slaves in court.
When the Civil War broke out, Hayes was nearly 40, married, a father of three with a fourth on the way, and a leading figure in southern Ohio. He had everything to lose and nothing to gain by volunteering for the Union cause. But he did so anyway.
His leadership qualities were immediately recognized by his superiors and the soldiers under his command.
Hayes saw action at the Battles of Antietam, Winchester, and Cedar Creek, among others. Badly wounded in the first of those battles, he stayed on the field issuing orders. Had his men not carried him to safety, he would have died.
Entering the war without any military experience, he left it as a general. He also left it as a member of Congress, being elected by his fellow Ohioans in 1864.
In 1867, he resigned his congressional seat to run for governor of Ohio, his status as a war hero helping him carry the day.
After taking office in 1868, he pushed hard for black voting rights, first in his home state and then nationally by supporting the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment. A popular governor, he was elected to two more terms.
With the 1876 election looming and the Grant Administration mired in financial scandals, the party needed a candidate free of any taint of corruption–and Hayes fit the bill.
But the election was an uphill battle.
First, Hayes faced a formidable opponent, the Democratic governor of New York, Samuel Tilden.
Second, the Republican Party had been losing votes in the South because the Democrats were making it increasingly difficult for blacks to vote.
The election indeed turned out to be a photo finish. The New York Times reported that Tilden had won 184 electoral votes–just one vote short of victory–while Hayes captured 181. The wildcards were South Carolina, Louisiana, and… Florida.
Sound familiar?
A stalemate ensued, with each side bitterly accusing the other of cheating. Without any precedent or guidance from the Constitution, Congress set up a commission to settle the issue.
Finally, in February 1877, after some of the nastiest mudslinging in American history, the commission decided for Hayes. Congress ratified the decision on March 2. But many Democrats never accepted the result as legitimate, and perpetually referred to Hayes as “Rutherfraud.”
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Even more disputed than the election of 1800??
It should be called Prager Middle School
They had no place being there
" . . . but perhaps he was naive" – in hindsight, that appears obvious.
Hayes also vetoed the Chinese Exclusion Act, a move that many regarded as him committing political suicide.
My grandpa use to tell me "we're related to
Rutherford B Hayes & Zachary Taylor"
Two things.
1. His wife was religious who hated alcohol and forbid it in the White House. Perhaps deridingly, her nickname was “Lemonade Lucy”.
Hayes is loved and celebrated in Paraguay since he did something to help with their independence. There is even a street names after him n the capitol city.
I liked his beard. Anyone who has a long, scraggly beard is called by me a “Rutherford B Hayes”.
El presidente Rutherford Hayes también tuvo un departamento en Paraguay que lleva su nombre.
It's 1877 and the Democrats would gloat, but they're all amazed when Rutherford Hayes wins by just one vote.
Prager U is wrong in saying Hayes removed all federal troops from the South. That's a myth.
The 1876 election has been studied exhaustively by historians with the end result that nobody knows who really won. Dirty tricks including ballot box stuffing and destroying ballots for the wrong candidate were common practice in both parties. In the end, Hayes won because the GOP controlled Congress and said he was the next president. Fears that open civil war might break out were only alleviated by the promised end to Reconstruction. I am not a fan of Hayes as a president and give him a C minus for a grade. That said, it would likely have been much worse if Tilden had won.
I really like this guy. Sure, Rutherford B. Hayes made a mistake, but what president didn't make a mistake? Most of what he did is worthy of honor. This man who ended a big part of corruption in Washington should be emulated today.
Professor Edwards is the GOAT!! Go wolverines!!
Wait to go Great^n Grandpa!
n=?
This was an eye-opening video. Why they don't teach American History like this is becoming obvious as our great
country falls apart – they WANT AMERICA TO FAIL.
2 years after Heroin was discovered and commercially available without prescription.
What software do you use to edit the videos? They are great.
He's is bogged down massively by ending reconstruction
Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson were the greatest American Presidents; they both threw out the Rothschild banks and freed Americans from the Ziobabakers debt slavery.
I keep forgetting that Democrats where the source of the Jim Crow laws, even through the scream it today whenever they need to make race an issue.
I'm looking at you Jim Eagle.
As I recall, the agreement to remove occupation troops from the south was reached as part of a compromise to ensure Hayes would become President.
Much of this video is cowardly propaganda to deify the USA union federal government. Dennis prager, shame on you, you liberty hating coward!
Reminds me of Calvin Coolidge, in that he too was a very successful and popular president, and voluntarily chose not to run for a second term.
Rutherfraud*
They problem with Hayes is that the South was right
So many forgotten Presidents, so little time.
Don't forget the so-called "Compromise of 1877" that supposedly ended Democrat contestation over the commission. Hayes' representatives agreed to withdraw the troops.
I wouldn’t compare the 2020 election with the 1876 election. You could make the case the 1876 election was stolen due to the Compromise of 1877. There is no reason why 2020 should have even be disputed. “Trust me bro” coming from 45 isn’t evidence of fraud. Biden won 100% legitimately, coming from a Trump voter.
Thank you for running this series on presidents. I've done a fair amount of reading on Nineteenth Century American politics. It was a colorful time to say the least.
America has left God and His principles and in doing so has abandoned any philosophical thinking…
Not anymore! Brandon didn't win. They cheated massively, and now won't let you talk about it.
When did Prager U start using crappy AI art?
All I really knew about the guy before this is a joke about him on “The Cleveland Show”.
Rallo didn’t realize that Obama was the first/only black president, and and he started listing off presidents with stereotypically black last names (Washington, Jackson, Jefferson, etc.), capping it off by saying that there was no way that a guy with a name like Rutherford B. Hayes “wasn’t a brother”. 🤣
Scroll down to raybarry4307’s comment. There’s a reply to it that that is simply 👨🍳😘.
Hayes was at the top of his class, just like sleepy Joe. Lol 😂😂😂
He acted in Wild Wild West with Will Smith.
77th, 27 November 2023
Thanks to you, I have gained respect for Hayes.
Point of the story is to never trust a demoKKKrat. They ALL lie.
Amazing how Democrats have always been the party for slavery and yet so many black Americans vote these people in
The first rino