Nearly four months after Election Day, in the early morning hours of Friday, March 2, 1877, the results of the Presidential election were handed to the President of the Senate, Republican T.W. Ferry. Ferry signed the poll sheet and announced that the winner of the 1876 Presidential election was Republican Rutherford b. Hayes of Ohio. After a controversial four months, Hayes was elected President of the United States over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden of New York by one electoral vote.[1]
1876 was a special year in America. Not only did Americans have the opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their country; they would also have the opportunity to take part in one of the freedoms that was fought for 100 years prior, the election of their President. What started out as a year of celebration, which reached it’s height in Philadelphia at the World’s Fair Great Centennial Exposition, would end up being confusing due to the controversy surrounding the Presidential election.[2]
The campaign for President between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel J. Tilden turned into a war of words between the two political parties. The Democrat used the scandals in Grant administration against the Republicans and the Republicans accused the Democrats of being the party of treason and rebellion because of the Civil War.[3] So the race for the Presidency was on with the Republicans trying to overcome the scandals of the Grant Administration and the Democrats trying to “bloody shirt” accusations.[4]
Tuesday, November 7 1876, was the day that Americans went to the polls to elect a new President. As the results of the election started coming in everything seemed to point to a clear victory for Democratic Presidential hopeful Samuel Tilden. Tilden had won his home stated of New York and many other key northern states and was expected to win a majority of the southern states giving him the Presidency. As the night came to an end Republican Rutherford...