James A. Garfield

James A. Garfield
source
Name	James A. Garfield
Caption	Garfield c. 1881
Order	20th
Office	President of the United States
Term start	March 4, 1881
Term end	September 19, 1881
Vicepresident	Chester A. Arthur
Predecessor	Rutherford B. Hayes
Successor	Chester A. Arthur
Office2	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio
Term start2	March 4, 1863
Term end2	March 4, 1881
Predecessor2	Albert G. Riddle
Successor2	Ezra B. Taylor
Constituency2	19th district (1863–1881)
Office3	United States Senator-elect from Ohio
Term start3	Never seated
Term end3	Never seated
Predecessor3	Allen G. Thurman
Successor3	John Sherman
Birth date	19 November 1831
Birth place	Moreland Hills, Ohio, U.S.
Death date	19 September 1881
Death place	Elberon, New Jersey, U.S.
Party	Republican
Spouse	Lucretia Rudolph, 1858
Children	7, including Harry, James, and Abram Garfield
Education	Williams College (BA)
Branch	United States Army
Serviceyears	1861–1863
Rank	Major General
Unit	42nd Ohio Infantry
Battles	American Civil War
Commands	20th Brigade

James A. Garfield was the 20th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881, until his death from an assassin's bullet on September 19, 1881. A self-made man from the Western Reserve of Ohio, he rose from poverty to become a major general in the Union Army, a leading Republican congressman, and a compromise nominee at the 1880 Republican National Convention. His brief presidency was dominated by a bitter conflict over Senate patronage and his subsequent assassination, which prompted significant civil service reform.

Early life and education

Born in a log cabin in Moreland Hills, Ohio, Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin. His father, Abram Garfield, died in 1833, leaving the family in poverty. He worked on the family farm and as a canal boat driver on the Ohio and Erie Canal before pursuing an education. He attended the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (later Hiram College) in Hiram, Ohio, and graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1856. He returned to the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute as a professor of classical languages and later served as its president, developing a reputation as a skilled orator and debater.

Civil War and political career

An ardent opponent of slavery, Garfield was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1859. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, he helped recruit the 42nd Ohio Infantry Regiment and was commissioned its colonel. He served with distinction at the Battle of Middle Creek and the Battle of Shiloh, earning promotion to brigadier general. He later served as Chief of Staff to Major General William Rosecrans during the Chickamauga campaign. Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1862 while still in uniform, he resigned his military commission in 1863. In the House of Representatives, he became a leading Radical Republican, served on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and was a key figure in the Crédit Mobilier scandal investigation. He also developed expertise in financial policy, supporting the gold standard against proponents of Free silver.

Presidency (1881)

Garfield entered the 1880 Republican National Convention as a senator-elect and manager for Secretary of the Treasury John Sherman. A deadlock between Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, and James G. Blaine led to Garfield's surprise nomination on the 36th ballot. He defeated the Democratic nominee, Winfield Scott Hancock, in the 1880 United States presidential election. His presidency was immediately consumed by a factional battle over federal appointments, pitting the "Stalwarts" led by Roscoe Conkling against the "Half-Breeds" aligned with Blaine. Garfield's assertion of executive authority in appointing William H. Robertson as Collector of the Port of New York triggered Conkling's resignation from the United States Senate.

Assassination and death

On July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot twice in a Washington, D.C. train station by Charles J. Guiteau, a disgruntled and mentally unstable office seeker who declared himself a Stalwart. The president was attended by several physicians, including Dr. Willard Bliss, whose non-sterile probing for the bullet likely caused a fatal infection. In early September, Garfield was moved to the seaside in Elberon, Long Branch, New Jersey, in an attempt to aid his recovery. He died there on September 19, 1881, from a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm and sepsis. His lengthy public suffering was widely reported via the telegraph, and his death led to the succession of Vice President Chester A. Arthur.

Legacy and historical view

Garfield's death catalyzed public outrage against the spoils system and directly led to the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883 under President Arthur. He is remembered as a president of immense unfulfilled potential, a gifted scholar, and a powerful orator. His life story from canal boy to president embodied the American Dream of the 19th century. Memorials include the James A. Garfield Memorial in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, and his former home, Lawnfield, in Mentor, Ohio, is preserved as the James A. Garfield National Historic Site.

Category:1831 births Category:1881 deaths Category:Presidents of the United States Category:American assassinated politicians