WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.259 Welcome to The Deep Dive. We're the podcast where 00:00:02.259 --> 00:00:04.440 we dig into a whole stack of sources to pull 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:07.059 out the key insights, helping you get informed 00:00:07.059 --> 00:00:10.460 fast. Today we are diving deep into Rutherford 00:00:10.460 --> 00:00:13.500 B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States. 00:00:13.699 --> 00:00:16.000 Now look, his name might not ring a bell quite 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:18.940 like Lincoln or Roosevelt, but as we explore 00:00:18.940 --> 00:00:20.899 these sources we've gathered, you'll find a leader 00:00:20.899 --> 00:00:24.500 whose life was packed with, well, drama. dedication 00:00:24.500 --> 00:00:27.239 and some genuinely unexpected twists. Absolutely. 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:29.079 And what's really fascinating about Hayes, I 00:00:29.079 --> 00:00:32.340 think, is how much of the the real story gets 00:00:32.340 --> 00:00:35.359 lost, you know, the nuances of who he was, the 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:37.240 actual impact of his policies. It often just 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:39.539 gets boiled down to a historical footnote. So 00:00:39.539 --> 00:00:41.979 our mission today is to push past that superficial 00:00:41.979 --> 00:00:44.299 stuff. We want to really delve into the details. 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:46.719 His his incredible bravery in the Civil War, 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:48.880 his commitment to reform, even some really surprising 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:51.200 ideas he had after his presidency. We're aiming 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:53.179 to give you a truly well -rounded perspective. 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:55.299 on him and, you know, the whole turbulent era 00:00:55.299 --> 00:00:57.920 he navigated. And we have found some real gems 00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:59.659 in these sources for you, things that will definitely 00:00:59.659 --> 00:01:02.920 make you lean in. Like a presidential election 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:05.540 so contested it nearly tore the country apart, 00:01:05.980 --> 00:01:09.140 earned him the nickname his fraudulency. Right. 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:12.079 We'll also unpack his Civil War record marked 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:15.760 by incredible bravery and get this five combat 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:18.299 wounds. Plus, you'll hear about his, well, frankly, 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:20.780 surprising views on wealth and equality, even 00:01:20.780 --> 00:01:22.640 flirting with socialist ideas later in life. 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:25.480 and a little historical first. He was the first 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:27.519 president ever to take the oath of office privately, 00:01:27.780 --> 00:01:30.079 right inside the White House. Hayes' story left 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:32.280 a significant mark, maybe an underappreciated 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:34.760 one, on American history. And we're here to figure 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:37.019 out why. Okay, so let's start at the beginning. 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:39.340 Our sources paint this picture of Hayes' childhood 00:01:39.340 --> 00:01:41.959 and it's really shaped by both loss and a lot 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:44.920 of family support. He was born October 4th, 1822 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:47.739 in Delaware, Ohio. And wow, his father died just 00:01:47.739 --> 00:01:49.640 10 weeks before he was born, imagine that. So 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:51.560 he was raised by his mother, Sophia Burchard, 00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:53.840 and his sister Fanny. But there was another key 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:56.400 figure his uncle Sardis Burchard He really stepped 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:58.879 in became like a father figure and Sardis didn't 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:01.319 just offer emotional support He actually helped 00:02:01.319 --> 00:02:03.959 fund Hayes's early education even live with the 00:02:03.959 --> 00:02:05.840 family for a while You really have to wonder 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:09.180 how facing that kind of loss so early But then 00:02:09.180 --> 00:02:11.060 having this strong family net especially his 00:02:11.060 --> 00:02:13.580 uncle how that forged his character, you know 00:02:13.870 --> 00:02:16.610 is resilience. Oh, absolutely. That early period, 00:02:16.729 --> 00:02:20.110 it's often where you see the seeds of leadership 00:02:20.110 --> 00:02:22.030 being planted, isn't it? And it does raise that 00:02:22.030 --> 00:02:25.629 question. How much of his later belief in, say, 00:02:25.849 --> 00:02:28.009 meritocracy, self -reliance, his focus on principles, 00:02:28.069 --> 00:02:30.030 how much of that came from this specific upbringing? 00:02:30.449 --> 00:02:32.509 Dealing with loss, but also having that strong 00:02:32.509 --> 00:02:34.270 guidance, especially intellectually from his 00:02:34.270 --> 00:02:37.680 uncle. probably instilled a deep sense of responsibility, 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:39.800 a drive to prove himself. It really speaks to 00:02:39.800 --> 00:02:43.139 the power of family, community, and shaping someone, 00:02:43.419 --> 00:02:45.979 particularly back then without the modern safety 00:02:45.979 --> 00:02:49.599 nets. And his education definitely built on that. 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:51.860 It was pretty rigorous for the time. He started 00:02:51.860 --> 00:02:54.159 at Norwalk Seminary, then went off to Webb School 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:56.620 in Connecticut, studied Latin, ancient Greek, 00:02:56.620 --> 00:02:59.479 the classics. So this wasn't just basic schooling. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:01.639 It was building a serious intellectual foundation. 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:06.199 Then he went to Kenyon College, 1838 to 42, really 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:09.659 shown there, graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Valedictorian, 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.199 and he was already getting interested in politics, 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:14.840 specifically Whig politics. You know, the party 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:16.780 focused on economic development and moral reform. 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:19.400 That intellectual drive then took him to Harvard 00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:23.360 Law School, graduated with an LLB in 1843, got 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:26.080 admitted to the Ohio Bar in 45, opened his own 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:28.419 law office in Lower Sandusky, which is now Fremont. 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:30.580 But those first years, they were a struggle. 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:32.439 Business was slow. He even got sick. They thought 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:34.919 it might be tuberculosis and had to travel. Sounds 00:03:34.919 --> 00:03:37.060 like those classic early career challenges, right? 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:38.819 Something a lot of us can probably relate to. 00:03:39.340 --> 00:03:41.599 Definitely. And that mix of struggle alongside 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:46.560 such a deep classical education, it likely created 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:49.039 a really unique blend in him. Fortitude, but 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:51.639 also intellectual depth. It suggests someone 00:03:51.639 --> 00:03:53.919 who wasn't afraid of hard work, wasn't afraid 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:56.360 to pivot if needed. Those early hurdles weren't 00:03:56.360 --> 00:03:58.340 just roadblocks, they were shaping experiences, 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:00.419 building the perseverance he'd need later on. 00:04:00.539 --> 00:04:02.259 It wasn't just about knowing things, it was about 00:04:02.259 --> 00:04:04.219 developing that critical mind, that resilience 00:04:04.219 --> 00:04:07.099 that would be tested again and again. Okay, so 00:04:07.099 --> 00:04:09.300 after those initial struggles, Hayes makes a 00:04:09.300 --> 00:04:13.020 big move in 1850. heads to Cincinnati. And Cincinnati 00:04:13.020 --> 00:04:14.719 seems to have been a real turning point for him. 00:04:14.759 --> 00:04:16.899 It was bustling, right? Found better business 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:19.240 opportunities there, enjoyed the social life, 00:04:19.339 --> 00:04:21.620 joined literary clubs, that sort of thing. And 00:04:21.620 --> 00:04:23.579 critically, it's where he met and married Lucy 00:04:23.579 --> 00:04:28.160 Ware Webb, December 30th, 1852. Now Lucy, she 00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:30.660 sounds like quite the force. Devout Methodist, 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:33.319 a committed teetotaler, and a really staunch 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.139 abolitionist. Our sources make it clear her strong 00:04:36.139 --> 00:04:38.720 beliefs had a huge influence on Hayes, especially 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.959 on temperance, and crucially, on slavery. It 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:43.519 seems like it was a marriage that really shaped 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:46.379 his moral framework, his public positions. They 00:04:46.379 --> 00:04:48.560 started their family there too, had several kids, 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:50.439 though sadly, like many back then, they lost 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:53.560 two sons in infancy. Professionally in Cincinnati, 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:55.879 Hayes really started making a name for himself 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:58.040 as a criminal defense attorney. took on some 00:04:58.040 --> 00:05:00.639 tough murder cases, even used an insanity defense 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:02.800 successfully once saved a woman from the gallows. 00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:05.100 But maybe the defining part of his legal work 00:05:05.100 --> 00:05:07.620 then and a real sign of his convictions was defending 00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:09.860 refugee slaves under the Future to Slave Act 00:05:09.860 --> 00:05:12.939 of 1850. For Hayes, who was becoming a committed 00:05:12.939 --> 00:05:15.519 abolitionist, this wasn't just a job. It was 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:18.259 deeply personal and politically useful too, right? 00:05:18.579 --> 00:05:20.680 It boosted his profile within the brand new Republican 00:05:20.680 --> 00:05:22.639 Party. showed where he stood. He wasn't just 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:24.519 some lawyer. He was actively fighting against 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:27.500 this really divisive, unjust law. Absolutely. 00:05:27.860 --> 00:05:30.339 That work, defending fugitive slaves, especially 00:05:30.339 --> 00:05:33.079 in a place like Cincinnati, a border city, it 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:35.639 was a direct confrontation with the biggest issue. 00:05:35.819 --> 00:05:37.819 tearing the country apart, it just underscores 00:05:37.819 --> 00:05:41.160 how personal values can really drive public action, 00:05:41.160 --> 00:05:44.360 can't they? And this commitment to abolition, 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:47.019 to civil rights, it becomes this thread, sometimes 00:05:47.019 --> 00:05:48.500 a complicated one, running through his whole 00:05:48.500 --> 00:05:50.800 career. His success in those cases didn't just 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:52.980 build his reputation, it cemented his identity 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:55.160 within the Republican Party early on, showed 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:57.620 he was serious about their anti -slavery platform. 00:05:57.860 --> 00:05:59.959 Now, as the country is barreling towards the 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:03.399 Civil War, you'd think someone like Hayes, abolitionist, 00:06:03.660 --> 00:06:05.569 rising Republican would be eager to fight from 00:06:05.569 --> 00:06:07.949 the get -go, but the sources show a bit more 00:06:07.949 --> 00:06:10.389 complexity there. Initially, he was described 00:06:10.389 --> 00:06:14.350 as lukewarm about war, even suggested just letting 00:06:14.350 --> 00:06:17.149 the self secede, let them go. It shows maybe 00:06:17.149 --> 00:06:19.870 a practical side or perhaps just a reluctance 00:06:19.870 --> 00:06:22.410 to embrace something so catastrophic before it 00:06:22.410 --> 00:06:25.970 truly hit home. And interestingly, this hesitation 00:06:25.970 --> 00:06:28.009 happened around the same time he lost his job 00:06:28.009 --> 00:06:31.250 as city solicitor in Cincinnati. City politics 00:06:31.250 --> 00:06:33.529 were shifting against the Republicans, but that 00:06:33.529 --> 00:06:35.660 reluctance vanished pretty quickly. after Fort 00:06:35.660 --> 00:06:38.660 Sumter. That pivotal moment. Hayes resolved his 00:06:38.660 --> 00:06:40.699 doubts, joined a volunteer company with friends 00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:42.759 from his literary society, made that leap from 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:45.240 lawyer to soldier. So it wasn't just a gut reaction. 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:47.019 It seems like a considered choice when faced 00:06:47.019 --> 00:06:49.139 with the absolute crisis of the Union dissolving. 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:51.939 a transformation many leaders went through. Right. 00:06:52.060 --> 00:06:54.259 That initial ambivalence makes his later commitment 00:06:54.259 --> 00:06:56.519 even more striking, doesn't it? It shows that 00:06:56.519 --> 00:06:58.740 even future heroes had to wrestle with the sheer 00:06:58.740 --> 00:07:01.639 scale of the conflict. His decision after Sumter 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:04.279 was a clear turning point. And the military experience 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:06.519 he gained, it wasn't just about battles. It was 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:09.000 about leadership under fire, understanding logistics, 00:07:09.399 --> 00:07:11.759 the human cost, all things that would deeply 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:14.579 inform his politics later. And his military career. 00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:18.329 It was frankly extraordinary. June 1861, he's 00:07:18.329 --> 00:07:20.970 appointed major in the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. 00:07:21.569 --> 00:07:23.329 And who else joins that regiment as a private? 00:07:24.149 --> 00:07:26.490 Future President William McKinley. Small world, 00:07:26.889 --> 00:07:28.889 huh? Hayes moved up the ranks. Fast, Lieutenant 00:07:28.889 --> 00:07:31.129 Colonel. then Colonel. But what really stands 00:07:31.129 --> 00:07:32.949 out is his reputation for just sheer bravery. 00:07:33.449 --> 00:07:35.470 The sources emphasize he was wounded five separate 00:07:35.470 --> 00:07:38.110 times during the war. Five times. That's just 00:07:38.110 --> 00:07:40.610 remarkable. It speaks volumes about his leadership 00:07:40.610 --> 00:07:43.029 style. He was clearly right there in the action. 00:07:43.389 --> 00:07:45.509 And, you know, Ulysses S. Grant, who was a pretty 00:07:45.509 --> 00:07:47.589 good judge of military ability, had high praise 00:07:47.589 --> 00:07:50.730 for him. Grant said Hays's conduct showed conspicuous 00:07:50.730 --> 00:07:53.389 gallantry, but also qualities of a higher order 00:07:53.389 --> 00:07:57.319 than that of mere personal daring. So it wasn't 00:07:57.319 --> 00:07:59.060 just being fearless, it was about competence, 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:01.879 about command under extreme pressure. That whole 00:08:01.879 --> 00:08:04.139 experience absolutely shaped his public image 00:08:04.139 --> 00:08:06.360 and likely hardened his resolve for tackling 00:08:06.360 --> 00:08:08.639 the tough national issues he'd face later as 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:11.160 president. It's just incredible stuff. Think 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:13.360 about this. Battle of South Mountain, September 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:16.920 1862. Hayes leads a charge against entrenched 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:19.040 Confederates. He gets shot through his left arm, 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:21.439 fractures the bone. Does he fall back? No. He 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:23.180 gets someone to tie a handkerchief above the 00:08:23.180 --> 00:08:25.000 wound to try and stop the bleeding, and he keeps 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:26.959 leading his men. Only later is he taken to a 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:30.129 hospital. That's just... Unbelievable level of 00:08:30.129 --> 00:08:32.429 determination. Leadership under fire. He fought 00:08:32.429 --> 00:08:34.830 in so many key battles. Cardiff X Ferry, the 00:08:34.830 --> 00:08:38.730 1864 Valley campaigns, 3rd Winchester, Fishers 00:08:38.730 --> 00:08:41.110 Hill, Cedar Creek, even got hit in the head by 00:08:41.110 --> 00:08:44.289 Spent Round at Cedar Creek. By October 64, his 00:08:44.289 --> 00:08:46.029 bravery gets him promoted to brigadier general, 00:08:46.330 --> 00:08:48.309 then breveted major general. This guy was no 00:08:48.309 --> 00:08:49.870 armchair general, he was in the thick of it. 00:08:50.009 --> 00:08:52.470 And that war record. It became a huge part of 00:08:52.470 --> 00:08:55.159 who people saw him to be. Okay, so after becoming 00:08:55.159 --> 00:08:57.759 this celebrated war hero, Hayes' path back into 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:00.139 politics was pretty much paved. While he's still 00:09:00.139 --> 00:09:02.500 serving in the Army in 1864, the Republicans 00:09:02.500 --> 00:09:04.480 back in Ohio nominate him for the U .S. House. 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:06.299 And his reaction when they told him to come home 00:09:06.299 --> 00:09:09.159 and campaign, it's famous. He flat out refused. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:12.039 Said something like, uh, an officer fit for duty 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:14.340 who at this crisis would abandon his post to 00:09:14.340 --> 00:09:17.120 electioneer are to be scalped. Pretty strong 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:20.629 words. Shows a sense of duty, right? Overpersonal 00:09:20.629 --> 00:09:23.809 ambition. And, incredibly, he won anyway, by 00:09:23.809 --> 00:09:25.710 a good margin, so he gets sworn into Congress 00:09:25.710 --> 00:09:29.070 in December 1865. Joins a big Republican majority. 00:09:29.529 --> 00:09:31.389 Now, he considered himself more of a moderate 00:09:31.389 --> 00:09:33.309 Republican, but the sources show he often voted 00:09:33.309 --> 00:09:35.870 with radicals, especially on Reconstruction issues, 00:09:36.409 --> 00:09:39.070 for party unity. He strongly believed the South 00:09:39.070 --> 00:09:41.529 needed strict requirements for readmission, especially 00:09:41.529 --> 00:09:43.889 protecting the rights of freedmen. That put him 00:09:43.889 --> 00:09:45.769 directly against President Andrew Johnson's more 00:09:45.769 --> 00:09:48.470 lenient plans. Hayes backed things like the 14th 00:09:48.470 --> 00:09:51.409 Amendment, the Civil Rights Act of 1866. He even 00:09:51.409 --> 00:09:53.350 voted for the first impeachment inquiry against 00:09:53.350 --> 00:09:55.710 Johnson. And even back then, he was already pushing 00:09:55.710 --> 00:09:58.049 for civil service reform, though unsuccessfully 00:09:58.049 --> 00:10:00.490 at that point. You see this pattern emerging 00:10:00.490 --> 00:10:02.769 early, right? fighting for civil rights, pushing 00:10:02.769 --> 00:10:04.909 back against what he saw as presidential overreach, 00:10:04.970 --> 00:10:07.289 even from his own party's president. Exactly. 00:10:07.429 --> 00:10:09.789 And that consistent stance on rights for black 00:10:09.789 --> 00:10:11.730 Americans, plus his ability to win elections 00:10:11.730 --> 00:10:14.570 repeatedly in a key state like Ohio, that really 00:10:14.570 --> 00:10:17.129 put him on the national map. This whole period, 00:10:17.190 --> 00:10:19.029 it's like the bridge connecting his military 00:10:19.029 --> 00:10:21.529 heroism to his later presidential run. It shows 00:10:21.529 --> 00:10:23.889 his political skill, his broad appeal, his willingness 00:10:23.889 --> 00:10:25.809 to stand on principle, even when it wasn't easy, 00:10:25.990 --> 00:10:28.269 suggests it was more than just political calculation. 00:10:28.490 --> 00:10:31.870 It seems deeply held. his political rise just 00:10:31.870 --> 00:10:34.409 kept going. Let him to become governor of Ohio 00:10:34.409 --> 00:10:37.809 not once, but three times, first elected in 1867. 00:10:38.230 --> 00:10:40.730 And get this, he campaigned hard for black male 00:10:40.730 --> 00:10:42.570 suffrage, even though the state amendment actually 00:10:42.570 --> 00:10:45.350 failed that year. He still won, but narrowly. 00:10:45.730 --> 00:10:47.830 His first term was tough democratic legislature, 00:10:48.289 --> 00:10:50.509 no veto power, but he still managed to get things 00:10:50.509 --> 00:10:52.570 done, like establishing schools for the deaf 00:10:52.570 --> 00:10:55.370 and a reform school for girls. Showed his interest 00:10:55.370 --> 00:10:58.090 in social welfare. Then he gets re -elected in 00:10:58.090 --> 00:11:00.470 1869, with a bigger majority in a Republican 00:11:00.470 --> 00:11:03.029 legislature. That allowed him to secure Ohio's 00:11:03.029 --> 00:11:05.289 ratification of the 15th Amendment, guaranteeing 00:11:05.289 --> 00:11:07.789 Black men the right to vote. His second term 00:11:07.789 --> 00:11:10.870 saw more progress. Expanded suffrage, setting 00:11:10.870 --> 00:11:12.850 up the state agricultural and mechanical college, 00:11:12.909 --> 00:11:14.870 which of course became Ohio State University, 00:11:15.230 --> 00:11:17.370 plus pushing for tax cuts and prison reform. 00:11:17.730 --> 00:11:20.309 He actually retired briefly in 1872, turned down 00:11:20.309 --> 00:11:22.490 a Senate run, wanted to keep party unity, spend 00:11:22.490 --> 00:11:24.730 time with his family, but politics pulled him 00:11:24.730 --> 00:11:27.600 back. In 1875, he accepted the Republican nomination 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:29.899 for governor again. Now, this campaign had some 00:11:29.899 --> 00:11:31.840 controversy. Our sources mentioned he campaigned 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:34.019 against state aid to Catholic schools, and that 00:11:34.019 --> 00:11:35.820 apparently fueled some anti -Catholic sentiment. 00:11:36.620 --> 00:11:39.080 Despite that, he won a third term. And in that 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:41.700 term, he kept focusing on reform, cutting the 00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:43.519 state debt, reestablishing the board of charities. 00:11:44.100 --> 00:11:46.120 His consistent success as governor, especially 00:11:46.120 --> 00:11:48.580 winning three times in Ohio, a major swing state, 00:11:49.340 --> 00:11:52.159 it absolutely cemented his reputation. Set the 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:55.190 stage for the presidency. Okay, so Hayes' wins 00:11:55.190 --> 00:11:57.429 in Ohio made him a major player on the national 00:11:57.429 --> 00:11:59.750 scene, a serious contender for the Republican 00:11:59.750 --> 00:12:03.529 presidential nomination in 1876. James G. Blaine, 00:12:03.649 --> 00:12:06.070 he was the big name, the front runner, but he 00:12:06.070 --> 00:12:08.090 couldn't quite lock down the majority. So on 00:12:08.090 --> 00:12:10.929 the seventh ballot, the convention turns to Hayes. 00:12:11.129 --> 00:12:13.450 Kind of a compromised candidate, maybe? And for 00:12:13.450 --> 00:12:15.769 VP, they pick William A. Wheeler from New York. 00:12:16.230 --> 00:12:18.730 Hayes famously said, I am ashamed to say, who 00:12:18.730 --> 00:12:21.169 is Wheeler? Which is pretty funny shows how these 00:12:21.169 --> 00:12:23.289 things can happen the campaign strategy for Hayes 00:12:23.289 --> 00:12:25.669 was interesting They took a conciliatory approach 00:12:25.669 --> 00:12:27.610 trying to appeal to southern white voters former 00:12:27.610 --> 00:12:30.549 wigs Signaled a bit of a shift maybe away from 00:12:30.549 --> 00:12:32.490 solely focusing on protecting black civil rights 00:12:32.490 --> 00:12:34.669 in the south He talked about needing to get along 00:12:34.669 --> 00:12:36.470 without the vote of the black man, which is quite 00:12:36.470 --> 00:12:39.669 a statement His opponent was Samuel J Tilden 00:12:39.669 --> 00:12:42.710 the Democratic governor of New York Tilden also 00:12:42.710 --> 00:12:45.159 had a reputation for honesty supported civil 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:47.980 service reform, but the economy was tough. The 00:12:47.980 --> 00:12:50.779 Panic of 1873 was still hurting people, making 00:12:50.779 --> 00:12:53.700 the incumbent Republicans unpopular. So the campaign 00:12:53.700 --> 00:12:56.539 was fierce, focused on swing states, and critically, 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:59.159 those three southern states still under Reconstruction 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:02.259 Rule, Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida. There 00:13:02.259 --> 00:13:05.019 was violence, voter suppression. A real mess. 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:07.320 Republicans pointed to the Democrats of the Civil 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:09.620 War. Democrats pointed to grand administration 00:13:09.620 --> 00:13:11.820 corruption. Yeah, this election really pushed 00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:13.779 the country to the brink. You had two reform 00:13:13.779 --> 00:13:16.139 -minded candidates, technically. But against 00:13:16.139 --> 00:13:18.720 this backdrop of economic pain and these still 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:21.299 raw wounds from the Civil War, it was just an 00:13:21.299 --> 00:13:24.440 incredibly volatile mix. And that shift in Hayes' 00:13:24.580 --> 00:13:27.019 campaign, the outreach to the South, it shows 00:13:27.019 --> 00:13:29.759 the intense political pragmatism involved. Maybe 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:31.679 even at the expense of earlier principles, it 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:34.669 really highlights the mess see moral and political 00:13:34.669 --> 00:13:36.889 realities of that post -reconstruction moment. 00:13:37.210 --> 00:13:40.929 And then election night, November 7, 1876. It 00:13:40.929 --> 00:13:43.309 just descends into chaos. Tilden wins the popular 00:13:43.309 --> 00:13:45.830 vote. Looks like he has 184 electoral votes, 00:13:46.009 --> 00:13:48.009 just one short of the majority needed. Hayes 00:13:48.009 --> 00:13:52.409 has 166. But then 20 electoral votes become disputed. 00:13:53.089 --> 00:13:55.289 19 from those three southern states, Florida, 00:13:55.470 --> 00:13:57.889 Louisiana, South Carolina, plus one from Oregon. 00:13:58.230 --> 00:13:59.929 Both sides were accusing the other of fraud, 00:13:59.990 --> 00:14:01.850 and frankly, both sides were probably right to 00:14:01.850 --> 00:14:03.750 some extent. The results were just completely 00:14:03.750 --> 00:14:05.929 uncertain, utter chaos. Through the whole election 00:14:05.929 --> 00:14:08.029 up in the air, there was no clear constitutional 00:14:08.029 --> 00:14:10.409 mechanism to solve this. So Congress and President 00:14:10.409 --> 00:14:12.529 Grant eventually agreed to create a special electoral 00:14:12.529 --> 00:14:16.190 commission in January 1877. Bipartisan, five 00:14:16.190 --> 00:14:18.029 representatives, five senators, five Supreme 00:14:18.029 --> 00:14:20.690 Court justices. Now, the crucial 15th member 00:14:20.690 --> 00:14:22.690 was supposed to be Justice David Davis. He was 00:14:22.690 --> 00:14:25.509 seen as independent. But then, in a crazy twist, 00:14:25.590 --> 00:14:27.649 Democrats in the Illinois legislature elected 00:14:27.649 --> 00:14:29.909 Davis to the U .S. Senate, pulled him right off 00:14:29.909 --> 00:14:31.950 the commission, which meant a Republican justice, 00:14:32.149 --> 00:14:33.850 Joseph P. Bradley, ended up being the tiebreaker. 00:14:34.250 --> 00:14:36.730 The commission meets in February, and bam, an 00:14:36.730 --> 00:14:38.889 eight to seven party line vote. All 20 disputed 00:14:38.889 --> 00:14:41.090 votes go to Hayes, just like that. It's one of 00:14:41.090 --> 00:14:44.870 those huge what if moments, isn't it? One Senate 00:14:44.870 --> 00:14:47.049 election in Illinois, potentially deciding the 00:14:47.049 --> 00:14:49.389 presidency? Absolutely. And while that decision, 00:14:49.389 --> 00:14:51.590 you know, technically resolved the immediate 00:14:51.590 --> 00:14:54.110 crisis, it begs that huge question. What was 00:14:54.110 --> 00:14:56.750 the real cost? Especially the cost of the compromise 00:14:56.750 --> 00:14:59.409 that followed. What did it mean for African Americans 00:14:59.409 --> 00:15:01.330 in the South? This is such a pivotal moment. 00:15:01.470 --> 00:15:04.580 It reshaped the South for generations. Connecting 00:15:04.580 --> 00:15:06.840 it to the bigger picture, it just lays bare that 00:15:06.840 --> 00:15:09.120 complex tension between political necessity, 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:11.860 maybe, and moral compromise in American government. 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:14.360 The decision avoided immediate breakdown, sure, 00:15:14.460 --> 00:15:16.879 but it paved the way for decades of disenfranchisement 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.759 and segregation, a truly heavy legacy. Yeah, 00:15:19.879 --> 00:15:23.539 the Democratic response was fury. Total outrage. 00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:25.960 They tried to filibuster in Congress, block the 00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:28.179 commission's results, potentially stop the inauguration. 00:15:28.539 --> 00:15:30.860 So to avoid plunging the country deeper into 00:15:30.860 --> 00:15:33.539 crisis, Republican and Democratic leaders huddled 00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:35.919 up, met at the Wormleys Hotel in Washington, 00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:38.519 negotiated a deal. Basically, the Republicans 00:15:38.519 --> 00:15:41.000 made promises in exchange for the Democrats letting 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:42.799 Hayes become president. The biggest promise. 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:44.759 Hayes agreed he would withdraw the remaining 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:46.779 federal troops from the South. He'd accept the 00:15:46.779 --> 00:15:48.799 newly elected Democratic state governments there. 00:15:49.299 --> 00:15:51.909 The Democrats took the deal. The filibuster ended 00:15:51.909 --> 00:15:55.129 March 2, 1877. Hayes was officially declared 00:15:55.129 --> 00:15:58.820 the winner, 185 electoral votes to 184. And with 00:15:58.820 --> 00:16:01.600 that, Reconstruction was effectively over, leaving 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:03.799 black Southerners largely unprotected as white 00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:05.879 Democrats consolidated power and rolled back 00:16:05.879 --> 00:16:08.460 rights. Now, because March 4th, the traditional 00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:11.539 inauguration day, was a Sunday in 1877, Hayes 00:16:11.539 --> 00:16:13.500 actually took the oath privately the day before, 00:16:13.820 --> 00:16:15.779 Saturday, March 3rd, did it in the Red Room of 00:16:15.779 --> 00:16:17.679 the White House, makes him the first president 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:20.320 ever sworn in inside the executive mansion. Kind 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:22.399 of a quiet, almost secretive start to a presidency 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:24.919 born in controversy. He then had the public inauguration 00:16:24.919 --> 00:16:27.740 on Monday, March 5th. In his address, he tried 00:16:27.740 --> 00:16:31.220 to calm things down, pledged wise, honest, and 00:16:31.220 --> 00:16:33.500 peaceful local self -government for the South, 00:16:34.059 --> 00:16:36.179 talked up civil service reform, returning to 00:16:36.179 --> 00:16:39.299 the gold standard, famously said, he serves his 00:16:39.299 --> 00:16:42.240 party best who serves his country best. But despite 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.299 the words, many Democrats just never saw him 00:16:44.299 --> 00:16:47.000 as legitimate. Stuck him with those nicknames. 00:16:47.580 --> 00:16:50.559 Rutherfrod. His fraudulency. It really makes 00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:52.799 you think, doesn't it, how deep the divisions 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:55.220 can run when people question the very legitimacy 00:16:55.220 --> 00:16:57.330 of their leader. and what a huge challenge it 00:16:57.330 --> 00:17:00.289 is to try and heal that. So, Hayes takes office, 00:17:00.429 --> 00:17:02.289 and despite his past support for Reconstruction, 00:17:02.669 --> 00:17:04.970 his first major act is essentially to end it. 00:17:05.349 --> 00:17:07.789 To bring about that home rule in the South. It 00:17:07.789 --> 00:17:09.509 wasn't just the Wormley's Hotel deal, though 00:17:09.509 --> 00:17:11.869 that was part of it. He was under massive pressure. 00:17:12.329 --> 00:17:14.269 The Democratic House was refusing to fund the 00:17:14.269 --> 00:17:16.369 Army garrisons needed in the South, and even 00:17:16.369 --> 00:17:18.809 within the Republican Party, support for military 00:17:18.809 --> 00:17:21.130 Reconstruction was fading. There was ongoing 00:17:21.130 --> 00:17:22.970 violence and insurgency in the South, making 00:17:22.970 --> 00:17:25.839 it seem unsustainable to many. When he came in, 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:28.839 only South Carolina and Louisiana still had Republican 00:17:28.839 --> 00:17:31.619 governments backed by federal troops. In April 00:17:31.619 --> 00:17:34.099 77, Hayes orders the troops out of both states. 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:36.480 And without those troops there to enforce voting 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:38.960 rights, the Republican governments just collapsed, 00:17:39.859 --> 00:17:42.019 fell to Democratic control almost immediately. 00:17:42.940 --> 00:17:45.740 Now, Hayes did try later to find ways to protect 00:17:45.740 --> 00:17:48.259 Black southerners rights, but those efforts didn't 00:17:48.259 --> 00:17:50.559 really amount to much. He did, however, put up 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:52.519 a real fight against Congress when they tried 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:55.220 to weaken federal election oversight. Democrats 00:17:55.220 --> 00:17:57.319 kept trying to attach writers to army funding 00:17:57.319 --> 00:17:59.599 bills, writers designed to repeal the enforcement 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:01.839 acts. Those are the laws used against the KKK 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:04.380 and others suppressing black votes. Hayes vetoed 00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:06.660 those bills five times. He was determined to 00:18:06.660 --> 00:18:08.920 keep those laws on the books. Congress finally 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:10.839 passed the funding without the writer, but then 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:12.799 they just refused to allocate money for the federal 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:14.779 marshals needed to actually enforce the laws. 00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:17.799 So kind of a hollow victory. It's a diary entry 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:19.640 from Hayes around this time is really striking. 00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:22.460 He wrote, my task was to wipe out the color line. 00:18:22.569 --> 00:18:25.109 to abolish sectionalism, to end the war and bring 00:18:25.109 --> 00:18:28.410 peace. Noble goals, maybe. But the actual result, 00:18:28.789 --> 00:18:31.750 the end of Reconstruction, had devastating consequences 00:18:31.750 --> 00:18:34.630 for millions of African Americans. Pave the way 00:18:34.630 --> 00:18:36.910 for Jim Crow. It's such a critical juncture. 00:18:37.349 --> 00:18:39.769 Hayes' actions here, regardless of the pressures 00:18:39.769 --> 00:18:42.849 or his intentions, undeniably mark the end of 00:18:42.849 --> 00:18:44.950 a crucial era, and the consequences, as you said, 00:18:44.990 --> 00:18:47.269 were the rollback of rights and nearly a century 00:18:47.269 --> 00:18:49.750 of legalized segregation and oppression. It forces 00:18:49.750 --> 00:18:53.109 you to ask, was this pragmatic leadership necessary 00:18:53.109 --> 00:18:55.269 to hold the union together after the disputed 00:18:55.269 --> 00:18:57.849 election, or was it a fundamental failure to 00:18:57.849 --> 00:19:00.190 uphold the promises of emancipation and citizenship? 00:19:00.490 --> 00:19:02.950 It really starkly illustrates how political deals, 00:19:03.009 --> 00:19:05.690 even those aimed at peace or stability, can have 00:19:05.690 --> 00:19:08.720 these incredibly found and damaging long -term 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:11.880 social costs. Right. OK, so beyond that massive 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:14.460 issue of ending Reconstruction, Hayes came into 00:19:14.460 --> 00:19:16.619 office really determined to reform the government 00:19:16.619 --> 00:19:20.259 itself, to dismantle the spoils system. He wanted 00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:22.980 federal jobs awarded based on merit through exams, 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:25.579 not just handed out as political favors, which 00:19:25.579 --> 00:19:28.279 was a pretty radical idea back then. And this 00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:30.220 put him immediately on a collision course with 00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:33.180 a powerful faction in his own party, the stalwarts. 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:36.099 They loved the spoils system. Their leader was 00:19:36.099 --> 00:19:38.579 the very influential Senator Roscoe Conkling 00:19:38.579 --> 00:19:41.480 of New York. Conkling fought Hayes on reform 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:44.339 every step of the way. Hayes appointed Carl Schertz, 00:19:44.440 --> 00:19:46.779 a big reformer, as Secretary of the Interior, 00:19:46.980 --> 00:19:48.960 and he ordered an investigation into the New 00:19:48.960 --> 00:19:51.059 York Custom House that was like Conkling's personal 00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:53.660 patronage machine. The report found that maybe 00:19:53.660 --> 00:19:55.779 20 % of the jobs there were just political hires, 00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:58.640 totally unnecessary. Hayes couldn't get Congress 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:00.980 to outlaw the system, but he issued an executive 00:20:00.980 --> 00:20:03.529 order. forbade federal employees from being forced 00:20:03.529 --> 00:20:05.789 to make campaign donations or do party work. 00:20:06.509 --> 00:20:08.569 Now, Chester A. Archer, yes, the future president 00:20:08.569 --> 00:20:10.650 was the collector of the Port of New York, a 00:20:10.650 --> 00:20:13.650 big Conkling ally. He basically refused to comply. 00:20:14.250 --> 00:20:16.490 Hayes demanded his resignation. Arthur refused, 00:20:16.829 --> 00:20:19.490 so Hayes fired him. During a congressional recess 00:20:19.490 --> 00:20:23.390 in July 1878, it was a huge fight. Conkling battled 00:20:23.390 --> 00:20:25.759 him in the Senate over the replacements. But 00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:27.980 Hayes eventually won, getting his reformist candidates 00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:30.400 confirmed. Firing Arthur and cleaning up the 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:32.380 Custom House, that was seen as a major victory 00:20:32.380 --> 00:20:35.480 for civil service reform. And Hayes' constant 00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:37.640 pushing on this, it really laid the groundwork 00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:40.119 for the Pendleton Act, the law that finally created 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:42.259 the professional civil service, ironically signed 00:20:42.259 --> 00:20:44.480 by Chester Arthur himself after Garfield's assassination. 00:20:45.059 --> 00:20:47.049 It just shows Hayes' determination right. taking 00:20:47.049 --> 00:20:49.009 on powerful figures in his own party for a principle 00:20:49.009 --> 00:20:51.509 he believed in. It really does. And this fight 00:20:51.509 --> 00:20:53.829 wasn't just about shuffling jobs around. It was 00:20:53.829 --> 00:20:56.490 a fundamental battle over the integrity of government. 00:20:56.569 --> 00:20:58.210 Was it going to be run by political machines 00:20:58.210 --> 00:21:01.710 or by professional standards? Hayes's persistence, 00:21:01.710 --> 00:21:03.410 even though he didn't get the full legislative 00:21:03.410 --> 00:21:06.269 victory himself, created that essential momentum. 00:21:06.309 --> 00:21:08.470 It set a crucial precedent, started shifting 00:21:08.470 --> 00:21:10.589 the whole culture of government work, and had 00:21:10.589 --> 00:21:13.150 effects that lasted for generations. Really changed 00:21:13.150 --> 00:21:15.630 how the bureaucracy functioned. Then just months 00:21:15.630 --> 00:21:18.009 into his presidency, Hayes gets hit with another 00:21:18.009 --> 00:21:21.809 crisis, the great railroad strike of 1877. This 00:21:21.809 --> 00:21:23.670 was the biggest labor uprising the country had 00:21:23.670 --> 00:21:26.329 ever seen up to that point. Started because railroads 00:21:26.329 --> 00:21:29.609 cut wages again after the Panic of 1873. Began 00:21:29.609 --> 00:21:31.970 with B &O workers, but spread like wildfire across 00:21:31.970 --> 00:21:34.650 major rail lines. Thousands walked off the job, 00:21:34.829 --> 00:21:36.869 riots broke out, governors started calling for 00:21:36.869 --> 00:21:39.130 federal help. Hayes was initially reluctant, 00:21:39.190 --> 00:21:41.369 but as things escalated, he sent in federal troops, 00:21:41.829 --> 00:21:43.609 mostly, he said, to protect federal property. 00:21:44.029 --> 00:21:47.009 But this was historic. and controversial. The 00:21:47.009 --> 00:21:49.029 first time U .S. Army troops were used to intervene 00:21:49.029 --> 00:21:51.789 in a strike against a private company, to essentially 00:21:51.789 --> 00:21:54.190 break the strike. The violence eventually ended 00:21:54.190 --> 00:21:56.250 by late July. People died in clashes between 00:21:56.250 --> 00:21:59.069 strikers and state militias. Interestingly, public 00:21:59.069 --> 00:22:01.009 opinion seemed to largely blame the railroads, 00:22:01.230 --> 00:22:03.349 not the strikers. It actually forced companies 00:22:03.349 --> 00:22:05.869 to improve conditions somewhat. And Hayes' own 00:22:05.869 --> 00:22:08.529 thoughts on it, recorded in his diary, are really 00:22:08.529 --> 00:22:11.089 revealing. He wrote something like, the strikes 00:22:11.089 --> 00:22:13.029 have been put down by force, but now for the 00:22:13.029 --> 00:22:15.140 real remedy. He wondered, Can't something be 00:22:15.140 --> 00:22:18.000 done by education of strikers, by judicious control 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:21.180 of capitalists, by wise general policy? He even 00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:23.779 called the strikers generally good men, sober, 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:26.339 intelligent, and industrious. Shows a surprising 00:22:26.339 --> 00:22:28.339 amount of empathy, right? A recognition of the 00:22:28.339 --> 00:22:30.539 deeper issues at play. That constant tension 00:22:30.539 --> 00:22:32.680 between labor, capital, and government power, 00:22:32.779 --> 00:22:35.000 it's a theme that just keeps coming back. Okay. 00:22:35.150 --> 00:22:37.089 Beyond the strike, Hayes also had to deal with 00:22:37.089 --> 00:22:39.470 these really tricky economic issues, especially 00:22:39.470 --> 00:22:41.609 around currency. What kind of money should the 00:22:41.609 --> 00:22:44.789 country use? Two big fights. Silver coinage and 00:22:44.789 --> 00:22:47.190 what to do about greenbacks. See, the Coinage 00:22:47.190 --> 00:22:49.990 Act of 1873, sometimes called the Crime of 73, 00:22:50.430 --> 00:22:52.789 had stopped the minting of silver dollars. Put 00:22:52.789 --> 00:22:55.619 the U .S. firmly on the gold standard. This shrank 00:22:55.619 --> 00:22:58.160 the money supply, which made the panic of 1873 00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:00.740 worse, especially for people in debt, farmers, 00:23:00.980 --> 00:23:03.400 laborers. They wanted silver back. They wanted 00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:05.480 more money circulating, believed it would raise 00:23:05.480 --> 00:23:08.240 wages, property values. So Congress passes a 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:10.779 bill, the Blandallison Act of 1878, to bring 00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:13.339 back silver coinage, requiring the Treasury to 00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:15.960 mint millions in silver dollars each month. Hayes 00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:18.140 hated the idea. He thought it was inflationary, 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:20.259 basically dishonest because it would devalue 00:23:20.259 --> 00:23:22.480 debts contracted under the gold standard. He 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:25.660 vetoed it, said expediency and justice both demand 00:23:25.660 --> 00:23:29.069 an honest currency. But Congress overrode his 00:23:29.069 --> 00:23:31.029 veto. It was the only time his veto was overridden 00:23:31.029 --> 00:23:33.690 during his entire presidency. This whole fight, 00:23:33.789 --> 00:23:35.869 gold versus silver, it wasn't just technical. 00:23:36.049 --> 00:23:38.549 It was about who held economic power, whose debts 00:23:38.549 --> 00:23:41.150 got easier to pay, whose got harder. The other 00:23:41.150 --> 00:23:43.750 issue was greenbacks. That paper money issued 00:23:43.750 --> 00:23:46.289 during the Civil War, not backed by gold or silver. 00:23:47.150 --> 00:23:49.230 An earlier law, the Specie Payment Resumption 00:23:49.230 --> 00:23:52.309 Act of 1875, said the Treasury had to start redeeming 00:23:52.309 --> 00:23:55.779 greenbacks for gold beginning in 1879. Hayes 00:23:55.779 --> 00:23:57.680 and his treasury secretary, John Sherman, worked 00:23:57.680 --> 00:23:59.500 really hard to build up the government's gold 00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:01.880 reserves before that date. And when the day came 00:24:01.880 --> 00:24:04.440 in 1879, public confidence was high enough that 00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:06.220 very few people actually bothered to trade in 00:24:06.220 --> 00:24:08.539 their greenbacks for gold. They trusted the paper 00:24:08.539 --> 00:24:11.400 money again. So between the overridden silver 00:24:11.400 --> 00:24:13.440 bill and the successful resumption of specie 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:15.319 payments, they kind of ended up with this workable 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:17.240 compromise. The economy was slowly recovering 00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:19.890 anyway. Right. And these debates, they might 00:24:19.890 --> 00:24:21.970 seem really dry and technical now, but they had 00:24:21.970 --> 00:24:24.930 huge impacts on everyday people, farmers, workers, 00:24:25.190 --> 00:24:27.910 businesses. Hayes' position, even being overridden 00:24:27.910 --> 00:24:30.809 on silver, it clearly shows his economic philosophy. 00:24:31.089 --> 00:24:33.789 He prioritized stability, worried about inflation. 00:24:34.089 --> 00:24:37.369 It's that classic hard money versus soft money 00:24:37.369 --> 00:24:39.589 debate. And it's a debate that, in different 00:24:39.589 --> 00:24:42.049 forms, we still see playing out in economic policy 00:24:42.049 --> 00:24:43.970 discussions today, isn't it? Who benefits from 00:24:43.970 --> 00:24:46.069 inflation? Who benefits from stable currency? 00:24:46.529 --> 00:24:49.519 These questions So Hayes wasn't just dealing 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:51.680 with massive domestic stuff. He was actually 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:54.059 pretty busy on the world stage, too, asserting 00:24:54.059 --> 00:24:56.900 American interests. Allade's focus was on Latin 00:24:56.900 --> 00:25:00.759 America. In 1878, he acted as an arbitrator in 00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:02.819 a really messy border dispute between Argentina 00:25:02.819 --> 00:25:05.539 and Paraguay, left over from the Paraguayan War. 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:08.480 Hayes ended up awarding the disputed area, the 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:11.420 Gran Chaco region, to Paraguay. And Paraguay 00:25:11.420 --> 00:25:13.420 was so grateful they actually renamed a city 00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:15.900 Villa Hays and a whole administrative region 00:25:15.900 --> 00:25:19.640 Presidente Hays after him. That's pretty remarkable 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:22.380 international recognition. He also got very involved 00:25:22.380 --> 00:25:24.960 in the idea of a canal across Central America. 00:25:25.559 --> 00:25:27.539 Ferdinand de Lesseps, the guy who built the Suez 00:25:27.539 --> 00:25:30.299 Canal, had plans for Panama. Hays too have very 00:25:30.299 --> 00:25:32.359 strong stance based on the Monroe Doctrine. He 00:25:32.359 --> 00:25:34.660 told Congress flat out, the policy of this country 00:25:34.660 --> 00:25:37.740 is a canal under American control. So the U .S. 00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:39.619 cannot consent to the surrender of this control 00:25:39.619 --> 00:25:43.220 to any European power." That was a really forward 00:25:43.220 --> 00:25:44.940 -looking statement, wasn't it? Basically, it 00:25:44.940 --> 00:25:46.660 staked America's claim to dominance over any 00:25:46.660 --> 00:25:48.940 future canal, setting the stage for Teddy Roosevelt 00:25:48.940 --> 00:25:51.549 and the Panama Canal decades later. It really 00:25:51.549 --> 00:25:54.609 does show him thinking strategically long term 00:25:54.609 --> 00:25:57.170 about America's place in the hemisphere and the 00:25:57.170 --> 00:25:59.369 world. It wasn't just reacting to events, it 00:25:59.369 --> 00:26:01.690 was anticipating future geopolitical importance 00:26:01.690 --> 00:26:04.630 and firmly planting an American flag, metaphorically 00:26:04.630 --> 00:26:07.670 speaking, on that canal concept, a clear assertion 00:26:07.670 --> 00:26:09.750 of national interest. The border with Mexico 00:26:09.750 --> 00:26:11.990 was another hot spot. There were frequent raids 00:26:11.990 --> 00:26:15.170 into Texas by groups from Mexico in the 1870s. 00:26:15.309 --> 00:26:18.130 Pretty early in his term, Hayes actually authorized 00:26:18.130 --> 00:26:20.630 the U .S. Army to cross the border. pursue these 00:26:20.630 --> 00:26:23.390 bandits into Mexico. Predictably, the Mexican 00:26:23.390 --> 00:26:26.269 president Porfirio Diaz protested strongly. Things 00:26:26.269 --> 00:26:28.789 got tense. Eventually, they worked out an agreement 00:26:28.789 --> 00:26:31.130 for joint pursuit, and Hayes promised not to 00:26:31.130 --> 00:26:33.190 let Mexican revolutionaries organize on U .S. 00:26:33.470 --> 00:26:36.210 soil. As the raids decreased, Hayes pulled back 00:26:36.210 --> 00:26:38.549 that order in 1880. And then there was China. 00:26:38.769 --> 00:26:41.210 This became a major foreign policy issue, tied 00:26:41.210 --> 00:26:43.390 up with domestic politics, especially immigration. 00:26:43.960 --> 00:26:46.099 An earlier treaty, the Brilliant Game Treaty 00:26:46.099 --> 00:26:48.799 of 1868, had allowed pretty much unrestricted 00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:51.220 immigration from China. But after the Panic of 00:26:51.220 --> 00:26:54.460 1873, anti -Chinese sentiment exploded, especially 00:26:54.460 --> 00:26:57.079 out West. Immigrants were blamed for taking jobs, 00:26:57.259 --> 00:26:59.440 lowering wages. So Congress passed a bill in 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:01.660 1879, the Chinese Exclusion Act, which would 00:27:01.660 --> 00:27:03.920 have basically torn up the treaty. Hayes vetoed 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:06.220 it. His reasoning. He believed the U .S. shouldn't 00:27:06.220 --> 00:27:08.119 just unilaterally cancel treaties. It had to 00:27:08.119 --> 00:27:10.279 be done through negotiation. There's a principled 00:27:10.279 --> 00:27:12.519 stand based on international law. Earned him 00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:15.019 praise in the Northeast, but furious condemnation 00:27:15.019 --> 00:27:17.619 out West. Democrats in the House even tried to 00:27:17.619 --> 00:27:20.440 impeach him over it, though that failed. Eventually, 00:27:20.460 --> 00:27:22.940 after Hayes left office, a new treaty was negotiated, 00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:25.640 leading to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. 00:27:26.859 --> 00:27:29.220 But Hayes' veto, it really highlights that tension 00:27:29.220 --> 00:27:31.779 between domestic pressure and international obligations. 00:27:32.789 --> 00:27:35.210 Okay, shifting focus back home, let's talk about 00:27:35.210 --> 00:27:38.250 Native American policy under Hayes. He and his 00:27:38.250 --> 00:27:40.849 interior secretary, Carl Schertz, pushed a policy 00:27:40.849 --> 00:27:43.710 of assimilation, trying to integrate Native Americans 00:27:43.710 --> 00:27:46.309 into white culture. This involved education, 00:27:46.690 --> 00:27:48.769 trying to teach farming, and importantly, breaking 00:27:48.769 --> 00:27:51.029 up tribal lands into individual family plots. 00:27:51.589 --> 00:27:54.309 This really foreshadowed the Dawes Act of 1887. 00:27:55.029 --> 00:27:56.690 Hayes seemed to genuinely believe this approach 00:27:56.690 --> 00:27:59.089 would lead to self -sufficiency, peace between 00:27:59.089 --> 00:28:01.450 Native Americans and settlers. They also tried 00:28:01.450 --> 00:28:03.509 to reform the Bureau of Indian Affairs, cut down 00:28:03.509 --> 00:28:05.509 on the rampant corruption. But despite maybe 00:28:05.509 --> 00:28:08.089 good intentions, we now know this whole assimilationist 00:28:08.089 --> 00:28:10.529 approach, especially the Dawes Act, ended up 00:28:10.529 --> 00:28:13.089 being disastrous for Native Americans, led to 00:28:13.089 --> 00:28:15.849 massive land loss, cultural disruption, and Hayes's 00:28:15.849 --> 00:28:18.069 term still saw significant conflict. The Nez 00:28:18.069 --> 00:28:21.369 Perce War in 1877, with Chief Joseph's famous 00:28:21.369 --> 00:28:23.779 fighting retreat. They were ultimately defeated, 00:28:24.099 --> 00:28:26.039 tragically forced onto reservations in Indian 00:28:26.039 --> 00:28:28.319 territory. There were also uprisings involving 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:30.940 the Bannock and the Ute tribes. One instance 00:28:30.940 --> 00:28:32.819 where Hayes may be intervened more positively 00:28:32.819 --> 00:28:35.259 was with the Ponca tribe. There had been a mistake 00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:37.200 under Grant. They were forced off their land. 00:28:37.680 --> 00:28:40.019 Hayes appointed a commission in 1880. They ruled 00:28:40.019 --> 00:28:41.980 the Ponca could choose to go back to Nebraska 00:28:41.980 --> 00:28:44.619 or stay where they were and should get compensation. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:47.720 Hayes specifically urged Congress to act with 00:28:47.720 --> 00:28:51.579 justice and humanity towards the Ponca. It's 00:28:51.579 --> 00:28:53.680 just such a complex and often tragic history, 00:28:53.799 --> 00:28:56.000 isn't it? Even policies intended as reforms could 00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:58.160 have devastating outcomes. All right, let's lighten 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:00.279 things up a bit. White House life under the Hayes 00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:02.740 has had some unique aspects. Most famously, his 00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:05.359 wife Lucy Webb Hayes. She became known nationwide 00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:07.779 as Lemonade Lucy. Why? Because she banned alcohol 00:29:07.779 --> 00:29:09.950 from the White House completely. Apparently their 00:29:09.950 --> 00:29:12.369 very first reception had wine, but he himself 00:29:12.369 --> 00:29:14.450 was reportedly appalled by how drunk some guests 00:29:14.450 --> 00:29:16.990 got at other Washington events. So he got fully 00:29:16.990 --> 00:29:19.710 behind Lisey's strong temperance views. No more 00:29:19.710 --> 00:29:22.849 booze served in the Hayes White House ever. Now, 00:29:22.970 --> 00:29:24.769 critics called him cheap, but the sources say 00:29:24.769 --> 00:29:26.849 he actually spent more of his own money on lavish 00:29:26.849 --> 00:29:29.140 food and entertainment after the ban. to make 00:29:29.140 --> 00:29:31.579 up for the lack of alcohol. And this policy, 00:29:31.579 --> 00:29:33.759 it wasn't just personal, it had political benefits 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:36.539 too. Really shored up support from product administrators, 00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:38.880 helped convince prohibitionists to stick with 00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:40.740 the Republican party, it's kind of a fun detail, 00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:43.559 right? Humanizes them. Shows how the first family's 00:29:43.559 --> 00:29:46.119 values could shape even social customs at the 00:29:46.119 --> 00:29:48.220 highest level. It's a great example, isn't it? 00:29:48.599 --> 00:29:50.779 How deeply held personal beliefs, especially 00:29:50.779 --> 00:29:53.740 those of a prominent first lady like Lucy, could 00:29:53.740 --> 00:29:56.200 directly influence White House policy and even 00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:59.059 national politics. Lemonade Lucy isn't just a 00:29:59.059 --> 00:30:01.359 cute nickname. It reflects a real cultural force 00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:03.519 in alignment with a powerful social movement 00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:05.859 temperance. It makes you wonder how often we 00:30:05.859 --> 00:30:08.160 might overlook these personal dynamics when we 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:11.039 analyze a presidency, its policies, its image. 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:13.940 And quickly, on judicial appointments. Hayes 00:30:13.940 --> 00:30:16.559 put two justices on the Supreme Court. First 00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:20.019 was John Marshall Harlan in 1877. Harlan became 00:30:20.019 --> 00:30:22.079 famous later for his powerful dissent in civil 00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:24.920 rights cases like Plessy v. Ferguson. He was 00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:27.359 often a lone voice arguing for a broader interpretation 00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:30.029 of rights. The second was William Burnham Woods 00:30:30.029 --> 00:30:33.130 in 1880. He was a Southern Republican, a so -called 00:30:33.130 --> 00:30:35.549 carpet -bagger, but apparently disappointed Hayes 00:30:35.549 --> 00:30:38.269 by often siding with the more conservative, Southern 00:30:38.269 --> 00:30:40.910 Democratic view of the Constitution. Hayes also 00:30:40.910 --> 00:30:43.670 tried to appoint Stanley Matthews in 1881, but 00:30:43.670 --> 00:30:45.910 the Senate balked because of Matthews' ties to 00:30:45.910 --> 00:30:48.809 railroads and corporations. Matthews did get 00:30:48.809 --> 00:30:50.950 confirmed later under President Garfield, and 00:30:50.950 --> 00:30:52.789 interestingly, he went on to write some important 00:30:52.789 --> 00:30:55.230 decisions protecting minority rights, like in 00:30:55.230 --> 00:30:58.180 Yequo v. Hopkins. So maybe Hayes' initial instinct 00:30:58.180 --> 00:31:00.559 about him was right after all. So after that 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:02.519 incredibly intense single term, Rutherford B. 00:31:02.579 --> 00:31:04.619 Hayes did exactly what he promised. He didn't 00:31:04.619 --> 00:31:07.019 run for reelection in 1880. He was a big believer 00:31:07.019 --> 00:31:09.359 in a single presidential term, ideally six years, 00:31:09.400 --> 00:31:11.740 he thought. Still a debate we have today, right? 00:31:12.140 --> 00:31:14.559 He leaves office, goes back home to Spiegel Grove 00:31:14.559 --> 00:31:16.859 in Fremont, Ohio. But he didn't just disappear 00:31:16.859 --> 00:31:19.700 from public life. Not at all. He stayed very 00:31:19.700 --> 00:31:22.329 active. especially with veterans groups, like 00:31:22.329 --> 00:31:24.730 the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, became 00:31:24.730 --> 00:31:27.069 its commander -in -chiefs, and interestingly, 00:31:27.569 --> 00:31:30.150 even though he was a staunch Republican, he actually 00:31:30.150 --> 00:31:33.190 approved of Grover Cleveland, the Democrat, winning 00:31:33.190 --> 00:31:36.650 in 1884. Why? Because he liked Cleveland's stance 00:31:36.650 --> 00:31:38.950 on civil service reform, shows how committed 00:31:38.950 --> 00:31:40.890 Hayes remained to that issue, putting principle 00:31:40.890 --> 00:31:43.829 above party. He also apparently took a lot of 00:31:43.829 --> 00:31:45.809 satisfaction watching the political rise of his 00:31:45.809 --> 00:31:48.369 old army buddy and protege, William McKinley. 00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:50.400 who of course would follow in his footsteps to 00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:52.940 the presidency later. Yeah, his post presidency 00:31:52.940 --> 00:31:55.619 really shows a man still deeply wrestling with 00:31:55.619 --> 00:31:58.019 the big issues facing the country. His continued 00:31:58.019 --> 00:32:00.559 advocacy, especially crossing party lines for 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:03.140 something like civil service reform, it just 00:32:03.140 --> 00:32:05.779 underscores that commitment to principle we saw 00:32:05.779 --> 00:32:07.440 earlier. It wasn't just politics for him. It 00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:09.420 really challenges those easy labels we sometimes 00:32:09.420 --> 00:32:11.960 stick on historical figures, shows a complexity, 00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:14.500 a depth of thought that went way beyond his time 00:32:14.500 --> 00:32:16.799 in the White House. And in retirement, Hayes 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.299 really threw himself into advocating for education. 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:22.339 educational charities, federal funding for schools 00:32:22.339 --> 00:32:24.799 for all children. He genuinely seemed to believe 00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:27.559 education was the key, the way to heal the country's 00:32:27.559 --> 00:32:29.640 divisions, the way for people to lift themselves 00:32:29.640 --> 00:32:32.599 up. And he practiced what he preached. Served 00:32:32.599 --> 00:32:34.980 on the board of trustees for Ohio State University, 00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:37.240 the school he'd helped start as governor. He 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:39.319 talked about the importance of both vocational 00:32:39.319 --> 00:32:42.519 training and academics. Famously wrote, I preach 00:32:42.519 --> 00:32:45.019 the gospel of work. I believe in skilled labor 00:32:45.019 --> 00:32:48.099 as a part of education. He pushed hard for Congress 00:32:48.099 --> 00:32:50.309 to pass the Blair bill. which would have provided 00:32:50.309 --> 00:32:52.390 federal aid for education though it didn't pass. 00:32:52.950 --> 00:32:56.029 But his work did have direct impact. He encouraged 00:32:56.029 --> 00:32:57.869 black students to apply for scholarships from 00:32:57.869 --> 00:33:00.069 the Slater Fund, an organization he was involved 00:33:00.069 --> 00:33:03.549 with, and notably a young W .E .B. Du Bois got 00:33:03.549 --> 00:33:05.890 one of those Slater Fund scholarships in 1892. 00:33:06.430 --> 00:33:08.890 Pretty amazing connection. Hayes also pushed 00:33:08.890 --> 00:33:11.339 for prison reform. just a broad commitment to 00:33:11.339 --> 00:33:13.799 social improvement. Okay, now strap in for this 00:33:13.799 --> 00:33:15.799 because here's where the Hayes story takes a 00:33:15.799 --> 00:33:19.019 really unexpected turn. His post presidency critique 00:33:19.019 --> 00:33:22.339 of wealth inequality and his, well, sympathy 00:33:22.339 --> 00:33:24.900 for socialist ideas. This really flies in the 00:33:24.900 --> 00:33:26.900 face of the typical image of a Gilded Age Republican 00:33:26.900 --> 00:33:30.099 president, doesn't it? In an 1886 speech, he 00:33:30.099 --> 00:33:32.759 said something startling. Free government cannot 00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:35.440 long endure if property is largely in a few hands 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:37.660 and large masses of people are unable to earn 00:33:37.660 --> 00:33:41.240 homes, education, and a support in old age. I 00:33:41.240 --> 00:33:43.140 mean, that's a powerful warning about economic 00:33:43.140 --> 00:33:45.440 inequality coming from him then. And he kept 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:48.259 thinking about it. The next year, 1887, he wrote 00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:50.440 in his diary calling the vast wealth owned or 00:33:50.440 --> 00:33:53.160 controlled by a few persons the giant evil and 00:33:53.160 --> 00:33:55.789 danger in this country. He saw how money was 00:33:55.789 --> 00:33:58.390 influencing everything, politics, courts, the 00:33:58.390 --> 00:34:01.130 press. And he directly linked that extreme wealth 00:34:01.130 --> 00:34:03.769 to extreme poverty, ignorance, vice, and wretchedness 00:34:03.769 --> 00:34:06.259 for the majority. He even suggested that maybe 00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:08.380 the answer lay in changing laws about corporations, 00:34:08.780 --> 00:34:11.019 property, inheritance, taxes. And then, even 00:34:11.019 --> 00:34:12.900 more remarkably, the sources point to his sympathy 00:34:12.900 --> 00:34:15.400 with socialism. One journal, after he died, explicitly 00:34:15.400 --> 00:34:17.940 mentioned this. Said socialism isn't necessarily 00:34:17.940 --> 00:34:20.320 revolutionary. And it credited Hayes with giving 00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:23.139 the famous writer William Dean Howells his first 00:34:23.139 --> 00:34:25.119 socialistic direction. Hayes apparently used 00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:26.960 things like the post office and public schools 00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:30.329 as examples of practical socialism. Things run 00:34:30.329 --> 00:34:32.869 for the common good. Even like Edward Bellamy's 00:34:32.869 --> 00:34:35.329 famous utopian novel Looking Backward, which 00:34:35.329 --> 00:34:37.949 imagined a socialist future. So the 19th president, 00:34:38.449 --> 00:34:41.139 a Republican. expressing sympathy for socialism, 00:34:41.480 --> 00:34:43.400 warning about concentrated wealth as the giant 00:34:43.400 --> 00:34:45.599 evil that is a major surprising twist to his 00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:47.820 legacy. It's absolutely fascinating, isn't it? 00:34:47.860 --> 00:34:49.659 The foresight in those observations is really 00:34:49.659 --> 00:34:51.659 striking. His worries about concentrated wealth, 00:34:51.860 --> 00:34:54.840 its corrosive effect on democracy, they sound 00:34:54.840 --> 00:34:56.719 incredibly relevant today. It reminds you these 00:34:56.719 --> 00:34:58.519 aren't new problems. And it really forces that 00:34:58.519 --> 00:35:01.679 question, how often do we miss these deeper philosophical 00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:04.079 currents in historical figures because we just 00:35:04.079 --> 00:35:06.599 box them in by party label. Connecting it to 00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:08.380 the bigger picture, it suggests the intellectual 00:35:08.380 --> 00:35:10.949 land landscape of that era was maybe more complex, 00:35:11.090 --> 00:35:13.329 more critical of capitalism's excesses than we 00:35:13.329 --> 00:35:15.809 sometimes assume. He sought the potential danger 00:35:15.809 --> 00:35:19.070 long before many others. Hayes' final years involved 00:35:19.070 --> 00:35:21.489 continued public work, but also deep personal 00:35:21.489 --> 00:35:24.989 sadness. His wife, Lucy, died in 1889. He was 00:35:24.989 --> 00:35:28.110 devastated, wrote that the soul had left Spiegel 00:35:28.110 --> 00:35:31.469 Grove when she passed. His very last words, apparently 00:35:31.469 --> 00:35:33.869 just before he died, were, I know that I'm going 00:35:33.869 --> 00:35:36.929 where Lucy is. Very touching. He stayed involved, 00:35:37.090 --> 00:35:39.969 though. In 1890, he chaired the Lake Mohon Conference 00:35:39.969 --> 00:35:42.309 on the Negro Question, still engaging with issues 00:35:42.309 --> 00:35:45.269 of race. Rutherford B. Hayes died on January 00:35:45.269 --> 00:35:49.030 17, 1893. He was 70. Complications from a heart 00:35:49.030 --> 00:35:51.469 attack at home in Spiegel Grove. His funeral 00:35:51.469 --> 00:35:53.429 was attended by major figures, President -elect 00:35:53.429 --> 00:35:55.730 Grover Cleveland, Governor William McKinley, 00:35:56.010 --> 00:35:57.590 assigned to the stature. He was buried there 00:35:57.590 --> 00:36:00.369 at Spiegel Grove next to Lucy. So how do we remember 00:36:00.369 --> 00:36:02.849 him? His place in history is definitely complicated. 00:36:03.659 --> 00:36:06.139 His biographer Ari Hugenboom argues his biggest 00:36:06.139 --> 00:36:07.940 achievement was restoring faith in the presidency 00:36:07.940 --> 00:36:10.579 itself, stopping the decline of executive power 00:36:10.579 --> 00:36:13.219 after Lincoln. Supporters point to his unwavering 00:36:13.219 --> 00:36:15.400 fight for civil service reform, but critics, 00:36:15.420 --> 00:36:17.619 and this is a heavy criticism, point to his handling 00:36:17.619 --> 00:36:20.079 of Reconstruction's end, his perceived leniency 00:36:20.079 --> 00:36:22.320 towards the South, and especially the withdrawal 00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:24.260 of federal protection for black civil rights. 00:36:25.119 --> 00:36:27.420 The consequences were just immense and long lasting. 00:36:28.340 --> 00:36:31.000 So historians generally rank him Kind of in the 00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:33.820 middle, maybe average to below average, reflecting 00:36:33.820 --> 00:36:36.659 that really mixed legacy. But despite the debates, 00:36:36.980 --> 00:36:39.579 he has been honored. The Hayes Presidential Library 00:36:39.579 --> 00:36:41.280 and Museums at Spiegel Grove, that was actually 00:36:41.280 --> 00:36:43.519 the very first presidential library in the country, 00:36:43.940 --> 00:36:47.179 opened in 1916. He's been on stamps, a dollar 00:36:47.179 --> 00:36:49.639 coin. And then there's that incredible international 00:36:49.639 --> 00:36:52.260 legacy in Paraguay, the Presidente Hayes department, 00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:55.000 Villa Hayes, even an official holiday commemorating 00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:57.639 his arbitration decision. So their legacy is 00:36:57.639 --> 00:36:59.929 definitely still visible. etched in places and 00:36:59.929 --> 00:37:02.170 institutions, even if it remains complex and 00:37:02.170 --> 00:37:04.349 sometimes controversial. Hashtag tag tag outro. 00:37:04.949 --> 00:37:06.690 So as we wrap up this deep dive on Rutherford 00:37:06.690 --> 00:37:09.130 B. Hayes, here's something to think about. Here's 00:37:09.130 --> 00:37:11.190 a man often remembered for how he got into office, 00:37:11.289 --> 00:37:14.130 that disputed election, his fraudulency and for 00:37:14.130 --> 00:37:15.710 overseeing the painful end of reconstruction. 00:37:15.889 --> 00:37:17.949 Yet in his labor years, he dedicated himself 00:37:17.949 --> 00:37:20.030 to warning about the dangers of extreme wealth 00:37:20.030 --> 00:37:23.010 concentration, even finding common ground with 00:37:23.010 --> 00:37:25.789 socialist thinking. It really makes you wonder, 00:37:25.789 --> 00:37:27.780 doesn't it? If a leader from the heart of the 00:37:27.780 --> 00:37:30.280 Gilded Age could be so insightful, so concerned 00:37:30.280 --> 00:37:32.840 about economic inequality, what does that tell 00:37:32.840 --> 00:37:35.500 us about these cycles in history, about the challenges 00:37:35.500 --> 00:37:36.980 that maybe we're still wrestling with today? 00:37:37.190 --> 00:37:39.210 What part of Hayes' journey, his contradictions 00:37:39.210 --> 00:37:41.250 stood out most to you? That's exactly the point, 00:37:41.289 --> 00:37:43.570 isn't it? It forces us to look past those simple 00:37:43.570 --> 00:37:46.130 narratives, the easy labels, and really grapple 00:37:46.130 --> 00:37:47.989 with the complexity of leadership, especially 00:37:47.989 --> 00:37:51.150 during times of huge national upheaval. Hayes' 00:37:51.329 --> 00:37:53.530 story is a powerful reminder of how the initial 00:37:53.530 --> 00:37:55.630 controversy surrounding a figure can sometimes 00:37:55.630 --> 00:37:58.110 overshadow the full arc of their life, their 00:37:58.110 --> 00:38:01.090 evolving ideas, their lasting impact, both positive 00:38:01.090 --> 00:38:03.809 and negative, his insights, his struggles with 00:38:03.809 --> 00:38:06.010 governance, economic fairness, racial justice. 00:38:06.570 --> 00:38:09.449 still resonate with surprising clarity. It urges 00:38:09.449 --> 00:38:11.929 us to consider the long shadow cast by decisions 00:38:11.929 --> 00:38:14.510 made in moments of crisis and to appreciate the 00:38:14.510 --> 00:38:16.829 unexpected relevance we can find even in figures 00:38:16.829 --> 00:38:18.349 history has sometimes overlooked.