Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States, was a Republican politician who served from 1877 to 1881. After several months of dispute, he ended up winning the electoral vote but not the popular vote just like the aforementioned George W. Bush during the 2000 elections. Interestingly, the author Mark Twain expressed his support for Hayes. Before assuming the presidency, he was the Ohio governor for three terms and he was affiliated with the now-defunct Whig party. Hayes supported the expansion of the civil rights of the black community but the Democratic majority in Congress interfered with his efforts. Hayes was another famous supporter of the civil service exams as he believed it was important and just for government employees to earn the jobs through merit over political ties. This was later enacted in the Pendleton Act. His wife was the first FLOTUS to have received a college education and she vouched for the first alcohol-free term in the White House.
Rutherford B. Hayes
Zachary Taylor
Zachary “Old Rough and Ready” Taylor was the 12th President of the United States but he is most popular for spending only a brief period in the office. Before he launched his political career, he was a war hero and his leadership skills in the field earned him his nickname. He was praised for his bravery during the Mexican-American War and he was the last Whig Party member to have been elected president. He began his term in March 1849 and he paid a great deal of attention to the slavery problem. While he kept slaves himself, his position leaned more towards the anti-slavery side of the debate. During his term, he encouraged New Mexico and California to become states. Sadly, Taylor succumbed to cholera while he was still in office in July 1850. His unexpected death led to plenty of rumors circulating around the cause of the sickness. Some people believed he must have consumed contaminated ice water or milk while others thought the big amount of cherries he ate during the 4th of July celebration was to blame.
Zachary Taylor
