Rutherford B. Hayes

"Rutherford B. Hayes's presidency is fascinating for modern readers because of the similarity of his election to that of Presidency George W. Bush. In 1876, as in 2000, the disputed result of the presidential canvass hinged on the question of votes denied to African Americans. When it was finally settled in favor of Hayes, his democratic opponents remained dissatisfied. Hayes, however, managed to steer a middle course throughout his administration, thus reconciling the country to his assumption of power and succeeding in helping the Republicans to win the election of his successor. Highly educated and of great integrity, admitted even by his opponents, he can serve as model to successors facing similar problems."—Hans L. Trefousse on Rutherford B. Hayes

"[A] thoughtful [and] useful look at an honest, if obscure, political leader, who, the author argues, rightfully won his office . . . Trefousse shows Hayes was free of many of the prejudices of his day, mild-mannered and pleasant to those around him—perhaps not the making of a legendary character, but certainly a steadying influence in a tumultuous time."—Kirkus Reviews

"The American Presidents series offers fresh, concise portraits of the U.S. chief executives. One of the most valuable services of the series is paying attention to 'overlooked' presidents. This series entry on the nineteenth president rescues from relative obscurity a man who, in the eyes of the author, a specialist in the Civil War and Reconstruction, should be remembered. Hayes served in Congress, as governor of Ohio, and as a general in the Civil War before his election to the presidency in 1876. It is this election for which he is chiefly remembered, for he is one of only four presidents who have won the electoral vote but not the popular vote. It was to Hayes' credit as an honest and conciliatory man, moderate in thought and action, that he was able to overcome the notion that he was a 'fraudulent' president. A fluid and valuable overview."—Brad Hooper, Booklist

"Like our current chief executive, Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893) came to power after a disputed election in 1876, arbitrated by a special congressional electoral commission that handed him the office and left him tarred as 'the fraudulent president' for the rest of his term. Trefousse, a history professor emeritus at the City University of New York and biographer of Andrew Johnson, offers a straightforward, by-the-numbers life . . . that hurries through Hayes's days as an eager student at Kenyon College and Harvard Law School to focus on his Ohio governorship and his single term as president. Hayes effectively ended Reconstruction, withdrawing federal troops and Republican regimes from the South to make way for the Democrats—a controversial move that spelled the end of black rights in the South, though Trefousse argues that Hayes had little choice and the best of intentions in terms of protecting blacks . . . A concise, informative account."—Publishers Weekly