One man came so close to winning the Presidency that his supporters insisted that he was robbed, and perhaps his was. Then again, if Samuel Tilden had won the election of 1876, it would probably have been because African-Americans in southern states, who were legitimately entitled to vote, were denied that opportunity because of violence and ( Read more... )

For the period following the Civil War, military service seemed to be a must for a presidential candidate's resume. For the Republicans, Ulysses Grant, Rutherford Hayes and James Garfield all used their war service for political recognition. After two non-soldiers at the head of their ticket, the Democrats turned to a prominent Union General to ( Read more... )

For years, many historians ranked Ulysses Grant as one of the worst presidents because of the scandals that plagued his administration. Many of these historians who made these rankings were supporters of the Democratic Party at a time when the party relied on the support of southern states, and therefore these historians gave Grant no credit for ( Read more... )

For years, many historians ranked Ulysses Grant as one of the worst presidents because of the scandals that plagued his administration. Many of these historians who made these rankings were supporters of the Democratic Party at a time when the party relied on the support of southern states, and therefore these historians gave Grant no credit for ( Read more... )

It must be a big day at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museum in Fremont, Ohio today. It was 200 years ago today, on October 4, 1822, that Rutherford Birchard Hayes, the 19th President of the United States, was born in Delaware, Ohio. Hayes was elected in the closest and most controversial presidential election ever (yes, closer and ( Read more... )

If Grover Cleveland has left no other legacy, he can always be remembered as the guy who messed up the system of counting presidents. Over the history of the United States, forty-five different men have been elected or have through some other Constitutionally approved manner become the nation's President, but for some reason, somebody once decided ( Read more... )

It was 199 years ago today, on October 4, 1822, that Rutherford Birchard Hayes, the 19th President of the United States, was born in Delaware, Ohio. Hayes was elected in the closest and most controversial presidential election ever (yes, closer and more controversial than even Bush v. Gore). In his single term he presided over the end of ( Read more... )

The year 1876 marked the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 was the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, and it was held from May 10 to November 10, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city where the Declaration had been signed. When he spoke at the Fair, ( Read more... )

Rutherford B. Hayes walked into the presidency under what was probably the most tense situation in presidential history, perhaps even more tense than those encountered by Abraham Lincoln. Days before his inauguration, no one knew for certain whether Hayes or Democrat Samuel Tilden would be the next president. When a bipartisan commission awarded ( Read more... )

The most controversial presidential election in US history was not Bush vs. Gore. Over a century before that, in 1876, Rutherford Hayes was declared the winner of the 1876 election over Democrat Samuel Tilden in an election decided by a bipartisan commission. This was the result despite that fact that Tilden had received a larger share of the ( Read more... )