Rutherford B. Hayes was born on October 4, 1822, in Delaware. Before entering politics, he worked as a lawyer and served with distinction in the American Civil War, rising to the rank of brevet major general in the Union Army. A member of the Republican Party, Hayes later served as governor of Ohio before becoming the 19th president of the United States in 1877, following the highly disputed 1876 presidential election. His presidency is best known for ending Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South, an action intended to promote national unity but which also allowed Southern states to regain control of their governments. Hayes also worked to reform the civil service system and reduce corruption in government before retiring from public life in 1881.
