| Samuel J. Tilden | |
|---|---|
| |
| Official presidential portrait | |
| 21st President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881 | |
| Vice President | Charles Francis Adams, Sr. |
| Preceded by | Ulysses S. Grant |
| Succeeded by | Ulysses S. Grant |
| 25th Governor of New York | |
| In office January 1, 1875 – December 31, 1876 | |
| Lieutenant | William Dorsheimer |
| Preceded by | John Adams Dix |
| Succeeded by | Lucius Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Samuel Jones Tilden February 9, 1814 New Lebanon, New York, the  United States of America
|
| Died | August 4, 1886 (aged 72) Yonkers, New York, the  United States of America
|
| Political party | Liberal Party (1874–1886) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic Party (1843–1874) |
| Occupation | Politician; lawyer |
| Religion | Christianity (Episcopalianism) |
Samuel Jones Tilden (February 9, 1814 – August 4, 1886) was an American politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1877 to 1881 after serving as the 25th Governor of New York from 1875 to 1876. He was the first nominee from the Liberal Party to be elected to the presidency. A supporter of civil service reform, Tilden rose into prominence as a reform governor of New York, resisting the influential Tammany Hall political machine of New York Democratic Party, which now had integrated into the newly-created Liberal Party.
Tilden was elected president in 1876 after defeating James G. Blaine, the Republican Party's presidential candidate. Blaine, the favorite of the Republican Party, was hampered with a corruption scandal that tainted his name. Blaine was accused to be engaged in an alleged transaction with the Union Pacific Railroad to buy back bonds he owned even though they were nearly worthless, in return to Blaine's support to the legislation that benefited his briber. Corruption scandals that plagued the previous administration of President Ulysses S. Grant resulted to the electoral decline of the Republicans and the rise of Liberals, leading to Tilden's election.
During his presidency, Tilden established diplomatic relations with the Confederate States, which also warmly welcomed such overture under the presidency of Simon B. Buckner. Trade activities were resumed between two countries, restoring the economy of the southern border states. Tilden had also extended his fight for civil service reform during his governorship to the federal level. Firmly believing to the meritocratic cause, Tilden sought to give federal jobs based on an examination that all applicants should take rather than based on political connections or associations. He forbade federal office holders from being required to make campaign contributions or otherwise taking part in party politics.
Despite his reforms, Tilden's presidency was also leaving a darker legacy. In 1877, the United States witnessed its largest labour uprising to date. The reduction of wages by the major railroads to their workers following the panic of 1873 led to the widespread strikes. After a riot broke out in Baltimore on July 20, 1877, Tilden ordered the federal troops to suppress it. Suppressions continued for nine days, resulting in deaths on both sides. He also vetoed the Bland–Allison Act of 1878, which put silver money into circulation and raised nominal prices, believing that maintenance of the gold standard was the best way to solve the ongoing economic crisis.
Tilden refused to run for reelection in 1880, keeping his promise for one-term presidency that he advocated throughout his term, which also partially due to his health issues. Tilden retired from political activities in the early 1880s, living as a near-recluse at his 110-acre (0.45 km2) estate, Greystone, in Yonkers, New York. However, he kept actively writing for the cause of one-term limit of presidency during his post-presidential years. He died unmarried at Greystone on August 4, 1886, just one year after the death of his predecessor (and successor), Ulysses S. Grant. President George F. Edmunds led the funeral procession that followed his body until Tilden was interred in Cemetery of the Evergreens in New Lebanon, Columbia County, New York.
