Sketch of the Life and Character of Rutherford B. Hayes

What it is

This is a book published in 1876 by Hurd and Houghton and Houghton and Company, written by William Dean Howells. It includes a biographical sketch of William A. Wheeler as well, and it has portraits of both candidates. Howells says in the preface that he drew heavily on original letters, diaries, note-books and scrap-books that were given to him without restriction. The copy online is a scanned PDF from the Internet Archive, so students are reading a digital scan of the printed book.

Why it matters

The book was written during the 1876 presidential campaign and shows how Hayes was presented to voters at the time. Howells states that the book was his own enterprise and was not adopted or patronized by Hayes. It is therefore a useful look at how a contemporary writer chose to portray him, though it is not Hayes's own voice.

Look closer

• Which parts of Hayes's life does Howells choose to emphasize, and which might he leave out?
• Howells says he used letters and diaries. How might a writer's choice of sources shape the picture a reader forms?
• Why would a campaign biography be published alongside a sketch of the other candidate?