The Presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes

by Ari Hoogenboom

Overview

This new interpretation of the Hayes administration contradicts the widely held view that Hayes was an inept politician and an ineffective leader. Hoogenboom argues that it was Hayes's character and personality that set his presidency apart in the Gilded Age.

This volume covers all issues, decisions, and developments during the Hayes presidency—from the withdrawal of troops from Louisiana and South Carolina that signalled the end of Reconstruction, through the Great Strike of 1877—the most violent general strike in American history—and the Nez Perce War, to the struggle for civil service reform and the fight to preserve voting rights.

Hoogenboom credits Hayes with being a patient reformer, principled but practical, cautious yet courageous. His honesty and decency echoed the pristine values of the early American Republic, while his attempts to rally support by emphasizing issues and policies—rather than by relying on political organization—anticipated the style of twentieth-century presidents.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780700603381
Publisher:	University Press of Kansas
Publication date:	10/17/1988
Series:	American Presidency Series
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.81(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

1. The Campaign of 1876

2. The Disputed Election

3. A New Southern Policy

4. Labor and Currency Problems

5. The Federal Bureaucracy

6. Civil-Service Reform

7. The Native Americans

8. Foreign Affairs

9. The Politics of Succession

10. The End of an Administration

Notes

Bibliographical Essay

Index

Editorial Reviews

"Excellent. Summarizes complex topics succinctly and clearly."—American Historical Review

"Hoogenboom’s well-written and judicious accunt of the achievements and vicissitudes of his term is an excellent addition to the historiography of late nineteenth-century U.S. political culture."—The Historian

"Hoogenboom presents a succinct, sensibly argued, and welcome study of the Hayes years."—Journal of Southern History

"Particularly engaging is the author’s pursuit of Hayes’s thoughts about the formidable issues which he confronted. . . Hoogenboom makes extensive use of Hayes’s diaries and letters."—Civil War History

From the Publisher

Hoogenboom's well-written and judicious account of the achievements and vicissitudes of Hayes's term is an excellent addition to the historiography of late nineteenth-century U.S. political culture.

American Historical Review