Rutherford B. Hayes was considered by many to be a simple, uncontroversial, and honest man to run for the presidency. That is why many people are perplexed that such an astute person should have one of the most controversial elections and presidencies ever. Considering Hayes’ honorable principles, it came as a surprise to see how he could unknowingly make a decision about reconstruction where its effects were so blatantly derogatory to the cause he was trying to help.
	The controversy began when he was merely running for office. Hayes was running against Democrat Samuel J. Tilden. When the ballots were tallied in 1876, Hayes clearly lost the popular vote, and had lost the electoral vote 184 to 165 . However, twenty votes
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He thought that the country and most white southerners would welcome a policy of moderation and react by assuring rights previously granted only sparingly . Consequently, he thought that by releasing troops from the last two remaining states would, "get from those states by their governors, legislatures, press, and people pledges that the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and fifteenth Amendments shall be faithfully observed; that the colored people shall have equal rights to labor, education, and the privileges of citizenship" . His theory that the southern government keeps their honor was severely disturbed by what was to follow in the near future.
An 1871 report to Congress says that in nine counties in South Carolina there were 35 lynchings, 262 black men and women were severely beaten, and over 100 homes were burned . To Hayes’ benefit, most people believed that he truly didn’t foresee what would happen with his policy. Professor John W. Burgess noted Hayes "greatest struggle which he had with himself ... was the question whether he was deserting the just cause of the black man and delivering him back to servitude" . There were actually mixed emotions about the topic all around. Evan William Gillete agrees that, "the reaction of most northern Republicans ranged from enthusiastic relief that the issue of the use of troops in the south would no longer intrude into every campaign, to fatalistic acceptance of the necessity of withdrawal".
James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), was a highly talented and celebrated African American writer. He was a poet, songwriter, novelist, literary critic, and essayist. Along with his wide-ranging literary accomplishments, Johnson also served as a school principal, professor of literature at Fisk University, attorney, a diplomatic consul for the United States in Venezuelaand Nicaragua, and secretary for the NAACP from 1920-1930. He is considered one of the founders of the Harlem Renaissance and the first "modern" African American.
Ulysses S. Grant lived an interesting life. He gave so much to this country. His life was
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He attended school for approximately eight years. Washington lived with his mother until the age of 16. At the age of 15, Washington took a job as an assistant land surveyor. In 1748, he began working in the Shanandoah Valley to help survey the land holdings of Lord Fairfax. By 1749, he established a good reputation as a land surveyor and was appointed Culpeper counties official land surveyor.
The election between Rutherford B Hayes and Samuel Tilden was referred to as the last battle of the civil war. During the end of the election, Hayes had believed that he lost, but in fact, he won and became president. He was also the first president to be sworn into office inside the white house. As for inside the white house, he was the first president to have a telephone and his wife, Lucy Hayes banned alcohol from the house. During his presidency, he ordered the removal of troops from the state houses in South Carolina and Louisiana. This was considered to be the most controversial thing he did in his entire presidency. This brought about a democratic takeover and people thought he had agreed on an end of reconstruction in exchange for the presidency. When it came time for reelection, Hayes declined and said no to a second
Hayes won the disputed election. Four states submitted irregular returns. It was disputed if the Republican president of the Senate or the Democratic Speaker of the House should count them. It was decided that an electoral commission made up of fifteen men. There were eight Republicans and seven Democrats, so the Republicans won. The Democrats would only accept this with conditions, one of which was to remove troops from the south.
Under this plan the south was divided into five districts. Excluding Tennessee because they had already been readmitted into the Union. Each of the districts were headed by a general. The main goal of the leader was to increase voter registration of blacks and to see to it that white confederates did not get back into office as they were before. The new voters would then vote on a new constitution that allowed blacks to vote. If the majority of the voters ratified the new constitution and the fourteenth amendment then the state would be eligible for readmission to the Union. These bills covered the objectives of Radical Republicans. They called for universal suffrage, made it likely that republicans would be put into office in southern states, and they set the standards for readmission. The south had to suffer the consequences of being defeated. To ensure their acts, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act which prohibited the president from removing certain officeholders without the permission of the Senate. President Johnson deliberately violated this by firing Secretary of State Edwin Stanton. President Johnson was tried for impeachment but the Senate could not convict him.
Ulysses S. Grant On April 27, 1822 a boy was born to Jesse Root Grant and Hannah Simpson Grant in the small town of Point Pleasant, Ohio. They named their son Hiram Ulysses Grant. In 1823 the family moved to a town nearby called Georgetown, Ohio, where Ulysses’ father owned a tannery and some farmland. Grant had two brothers and three sisters born in Georgetown.
He defends the South’s position on slavery which is a deeply grounded belief. Abraham Lincoln describes this situation as a disagreement on the definition of liberty in his “Address at Sanitary Fair, Baltimore” (1864). He explains that liberty may mean “for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men” (Forner 287). It is easy to see how this disagreement was heading in a catastrophic direction as the South continued to fight for the whole reason they came to America in the first place. The Confederates were willing to fight to death to defend their definition of freedom because the North winning the war equated to the very same thing in their minds; the end of their lives.
He wondered how someone who hated slavery could promise to protect it in all southern states. He wondered how someone who insisted that blacks were human could support racism. Why would he want to follow Lincoln?
They would gain the black vote and be capable of gaining more power. So they limited the power of the former Confederates and attempted to have everything in their favor.
American General and 18th President of the United States of America, Ulysses S. Grant, was a master war strategist who won the first major Union victories during the Civil War; however, political leadership proved to be far different from military leadership for Grant. While in office from 1869-1877 Grant scarcely attempted to control events, made injudicious appointments to public office, and had official corruption taint his administration, although Grant himself was never said to be actually have been involved in this corruption.
Throughout the ages there have been many great leaders. These leaders are powerful in many ways, with a strong control over the people, and a place in history. But who would have guessed that two cousins would be some of the greatest government figures ever? Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt, both American presidents, both American Heroes. Without these dignitaries, the American advancement into the present day would be incomplete and/or impossible. They gave people hope through hard times and the spirit to protect their country and one another.
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd president of the United States of America. He was born on a small Ohio farm on August 20, 1833, the second of nine children of hard working parents John Harrison and Elizabeth Ramsey Harrison. In many ways Benjamin Harrison was “born to be President” because of his heritage. He was named after his great grandfather who was a member of the House of Burgesses and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was the grandchild of 19th President of the United States William Henry Harrison, and the descendent of many other significant political officers and patriots. All of these facts added up to his reputation and led up to his presidency.
Depending on how old you are, it is possible that you have experienced many great presidents throughout your lifetime. Every single person in this world has their own view as to what a president’s role in the world should be, and how their values should reflect them. So far, the United States has gone through 42 Presidents who have all offered many new ideas that have aided our country tremendously. One of these great men was our 33rd President, Harry S. Truman who was thrown into the presidents’ seat on April 12, 1945 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt died suddenly.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s program of relief, recovery, and reform that aimed at solving the economic problems created by the Depression of the 1930’s, was referred to as the New Deal. The Great Society was the name given to the domestic program of the U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson. Both programs had similar yet opposing points.