Summary

This book, despite its title, is not by Rutherford B. Hayes but is a historical account of the 1876 presidential election. Its central thesis is that the election was resolved through an informal, extra-constitutional bargain—the Compromise of 1877—which effectively ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South in exchange for Hayes's presidency. The book details the disputed electoral votes in Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina, the creation of the Electoral Commission, and the backroom negotiations between Southern Democrats and Hayes's allies. A reader takes away an understanding of how a partisan political crisis was resolved not by law but by a deal that sacrificed the civil rights of African Americans for national stability.

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Key concepts

Compromise of 1877 — The informal agreement that awarded Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency in exchange for ending federal military occupation of the South.
Electoral Commission — A 15-member bipartisan body created by Congress to arbitrate disputed electoral votes, which voted along party lines to award all contested states to Hayes.
"Bulldozing" — The systematic intimidation and violence used by Southern Democrats to suppress Black Republican voters in the 1876 election.
Tilden-Hayes Contest — The specific dispute over 20 electoral votes from four states, leaving the election unresolved for months after Election Day.
Home Rule — The Southern Democratic demand for the removal of federal troops, allowing white supremacist governments to control state affairs without interference.