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Lesson

Rutherford B. Hayes and the Disputed Election of 1876

Guiding question

Evaluate Congress’ decision to devise an “extra-constitutional” solution to the electoral vote controversy of 1876.

Duration
50 min
Published
Jun 23, 2021
Rutherford B Hayes Election of 1876 Our Nation's Choice
The US Constitution provides an orderly process for electing the President, as described in Article II and the Twelfth Amendment. However, in the election of 1876, two conflicting sets of electoral votes were submitted by each of four states. The Constitution provided no process for determining the legitimate set of votes. Acting outside any constitutional mandate, Congress created a special commission to investigate the returns from Oregon, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida. Voting along party lines, the commission ruled that Rutherford B. Hayes had won the disputed election.

Objectives:

Students will:

  • Trace the events that led to the election of Rutherford B. Hayes.
  • Analyze the provisions of the US Constitution that describe the presidential election process.
  • Evaluate Congress’ appointment of a special commission in absence of any constitutional provision for disputed electoral vote counts.
  • Predict solutions should a similar situation arise in the future.

Materials

  • Handout A: Rutherford B. Hayes and the Disputed Election of 1876
  • Handout B: Setting the Scene
  • Handout C: What Would You Do?
  • Handout D: Tilden’s Response to the Election

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: Rutherford B. Hayes and the Disputed Election of 1876
ActivityHandout B: Setting the Scene (Election of 1876)
ActivityHandout C: What Would You Do? (Election of 1876)
ActivityHandout D: Tilden’s Response to the Election
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Lesson plan

50 minClick a phase to open it

More Information

To create a context for this lesson, students complete Constitutional Connection: Electing The President.

Standards

Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →

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