In 1876, Samuel J. Tilden lost to Rutherford B. Hayes in the presidential election by just one electoral vote. Ironically Tilden won the popular vote with a good margin of 51% to Hayes’ 47%. Upon his defeat, Tilden stated “I can retire to public life with the consciousness that I shall receive from posterity the credit of having been elected to the highest position in the gift of the people, without any of the cares and responsibilities of the office.”