Rutherford B. Hayes

Hayes's presidency is best known for the Compromise of 1877 that resolved the disputed 1876 election and led to the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction. That settlement restored local white Democratic control in Southern states and curtailed federal protection of African American rights, shaping race relations for decades.

He also championed civil-service reform, sought to curb patronage and corruption, vetoed numerous private pension bills, and appointed John Marshall Harlan to the Supreme Court. Hayes is remembered as a cautious, reform-minded administrator whose efforts at reconciliation and good government produced mixed results amid intense political pressures.

Won the disputed 1876 election via the Compromise of 1877; withdrew federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction; used federal troops to suppress the Great Railroad Strike of 1877; initiated federal civil-service reform and competitive exams; appointed John Marshall Harlan to the Supreme Court; vetoed numerous private pension bills to curb fraud and patronage