Rutherford B. Hayes served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881. Born in Delaware, Ohio, in 1822, Hayes studied law at Harvard University before returning to Ohio to practice law. He served in the Union army during the Civil War and was wounded several times. After the war, he was elected to Congress and then served as governor of Ohio.
In 1876, Hayes was the Republican nominee for president, running against Democrat Samuel Tilden. The election was one of the closest in American history, with Tilden winning the popular vote but the electoral vote being disputed. A special commission was formed to determine the winner, and in the end, Hayes was declared the winner by a vote of 185 to 184.
As president, Hayes focused on civil service reform and worked to rebuild the economy after the Panic of 1873. He also supported the rights of African Americans and Native Americans, but he was criticized for his handling of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877.