Rutherford B. Hayes was the president of the United States immediately before James A. Garfield.

Quick Scoop

  • James A. Garfield was the 20th U.S. president, inaugurated in 1881.
  • The 19th president, Rutherford B. Hayes, served directly before him, from 1877 to 1881.
  • Hayes, like Garfield, was a Republican leading the country during the late Reconstruction and early Gilded Age period.

A bit of context

  • Garfield’s term was very short because he was assassinated in 1881, only months after taking office.
  • That brevity is why Hayes and Garfield are often mentioned together in timelines of the post–Civil War presidency.

TL;DR: The president before Garfield was Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States.

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