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Secondary sourceBook1914

The Life of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, volume 2

Charles Richard Williams and William Henry Smith · 1914

The second volume of the 1914 biography of Hayes, detailing threats and tensions he faced during the disputed 1876-77 election crisis.

This volume recounts threats of violence against Hayes during the disputed election, showing the dangers surrounding his path to office.

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A nearly all-black book cover with faint, mottled texture and a subtle vertical band along the left edge; no legible title or text is visible in this image.
Charles Richard Williams and William Henry Smith, The Life of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, volume 2, 1914, book cover.

About this source

What it is

This is the second volume of a biography of Rutherford B. Hayes, written by Charles Richard Williams with William Henry Smith and published in 1914. It describes the anonymous threats of violence Hayes received during the bitterly contested election dispute before his inauguration.

Why it matters

This passage shows the intense political tension surrounding Hayes's disputed election, including threats referencing the assassination of Lincoln, and reveals how Hayes, a Civil War veteran, reacted to danger with composure.

Look closer

  • Why might someone compare threats against Hayes to the fate of Lincoln?
  • What does the biography say about how Hayes responded to these threats, and why might that matter to his image as a leader?
  • How might biographers decide which private letters and threats to include in a published account?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Rutherford B. Hayes on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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