The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

Did R.B. Hayes End Reconstruction?

President Hayes symbolically reunites sisters 'North' and 'South' in this 19th-Century illustration.

Director Emeritus Thomas J. Culbertson returns as guest speaker for the annual Hayes Lecture on the Presidency taking place Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013 in the Hayes Museum. He will address the often-argued topic “Did Rutherford B. Hayes End Reconstruction?” His appearance is made possible through sponsorship from Croghan Colonial Bank and the National Machinery Foundation .

The lecture begins at 7 p.m. Cost is $10. Call 419-332-2081.

Culbertson's talk examines the post-Civil War period known as Reconstruction . He reviews events of both the Grant and Hayes administrations. Culbertson notes that by 1870 all the Confederate States were back in the Union and a series of Constitutional amendments and acts of Congress granted African-Americans equal rights. However, these rights were not recognized by the majority of whites in the south. President Grant initially used the Army to protect the blacks, but northern support for using force in the South waned as the nation plunged into a deep depression. President Hayes subsequently redeployed Union troops protecting the last two Republican governors of southern states - a move long viewed as ending Reconstruction. Recently, historians have questioned accuracy of this view. Some contend Reconstruction ended in 1874 when Democrats took control of the House. Others suggest Reconstruction continued until the 1964 passage of the Civil Rights Act.

So, did Rutherford B. Hayes end Reconstruction? We invite you to come hear Culbertson’s answer.