Ohio, the Mother of Presidents Quiz

Answer: Rutherford B. Hayes

All four served for the North in the Civil War, but, as far as is known, only Hayes was wounded. He received a number of promotions due to his extreme bravery in battle, and left the army at war's end as a major general.

Answer: James A. Garfield

Garfield was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the 19th District of Ohio in 1862, and served continuously in that capacity until 1880, when the Republican convention selected him as its compromise nominee. Garfield went on to win the general election, becoming the first person ever to be elected to the presidency directly from the House of Representatives. Tragically, he was shot three months after his inauguration, and died 80 days later.

Answer: Rutherford B. Hayes

When Hayes took office there were still federal troops occupying the state capitals in South Carolina and Louisiana, due to competing claims in those states as to who was the rightful governor. Hayes adroitly mediated these claims, and reached agreements in both states for the peaceful resolution of the competing claims.

He then promptly withdrew the federal troops as promised, ending the twelve-year period of reconstruction in the South.

Answer: William McKinley

The Spanish-American War was fought in 1898 after the battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in the Havana harbor under mysterious circumstances. President McKinley was reluctant to go to war, but Congress insisted, after irresponsible newspapers had pushed for it with their "Remember the Maine" propaganda.

The U.S. won the war in a few months, and the ensuing peace treaty gave the U.S. the former Spanish colonies of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, while Cuba gained its independence from Spain.

Answer: Rutherford B. Hayes

Hayes felt strongly that a president could serve the people better if he didn't have to worry about re-election. In fact, in his inaugural address he recommended a constitutional amendment for a single six-year presidential term of office, with no re-election permitted.

Answer: James A. Garfield

The 1880 Republican Convention was hopelessly deadlocked between Ulysses S. Grant, James G. Blaine, and John Sherman, so on the second day of balloting the delegates gravitated toward Garfield as a compromise choice. He then narrowly defeated the Democratic nominee, Winfield Scott Hancock, in the general election.

Answer: Rutherford B. Hayes

The Rutherford B. Hayes Center Library opened in 1916 on the grounds of the family estate in Fremont, Ohio, following the donation of the estate to the State of Ohio. The 12,000-volume personal library of Hayes provided ample material for this endeavor, the first presidential library.

It has since become commonplace for ex-presidents to open libraries after their presidential terms have ended.

Answer: Ulysses S. Grant

The Credit Mobilier scandal involved personal corruption in the financing of the first transcontinental railroad. It was part of a pattern of such corruption in the Grant administration. Presidential historian Richard Shenkman writes that Grant's is the first administration "filled with people who wanted to use government connections to become rich".

The corruption was so pervasive that the final count was 230 indictments and 110 convictions. Grant himself has never been shown to be on the take, but his lax supervision of his people has caused his administration to be rated one of the worst in U.S. history.

Answer: William McKinley

The tariff issue was the main bone of contention between the political parties during the 1880's, with the Republicans advocating high tariffs and the Democrats arguing for low tariffs. The 1890 Act raising tariffs to almost 50% was named the McKinley Tariff, since then Congressman McKinley was its chief advocate.
Tariffs were lowered in 1894 after the Democrats had gained control of both congress and the presidency, but then in 1897 after McKinley became president, they were again raised.

Answer: Ulysses S. Grant

Grant settled in New York City after his presidency. After his death in 1885, he was buried in Grant's Tomb in New York City's Riverside Park. McKinley is buried in Canton, Hayes in Fremont, and Garfield in Cleveland, all in Ohio.