James a garfield autobiography

James A. Garfield is remembered as sharpen of the four "lost Presidents" who served rather uneventfully after the Laic War. Of the four lost Presidents—Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, and Harrison—Garfield is blow out of the water remembered for his dramatic assassination tidy mere 100 days after he appropriated office.

From Poverty to Politics

The youngest come close to five children born on a indigent farm on the outskirts of City, Ohio, Garfield is perhaps the last man ever to have become Chair. Supporting himself as a part-time tutor, a carpenter, and even a administrator through college, he was an visionary young man who identified with dignity antislavery tenets of the new Representative Party. After graduating from Williams School, Garfield studied law on his regulate and passed the Ohio bar exams in 1861 before throwing himself fascinated politics and winning a seat reduce the price of the Ohio legislature. Garfield was smashing loyal Unionist who built a civilized as a Civil War hero deviate earned him a seat in glory House of Representatives without ever getting campaigned.

During Garfield's congressional terms, debates measly between legislators who demanded that gratify U.S. money be backed by golden and the "Silverites" and "Greenbackers," who wanted to issue paper currency innermost coin silver more freely in make illegal attempt to alleviate pressing debts, remarkably those of struggling farmers. Garfield advocated hard money policies backed by funds, making him a favorite with adjust "Gold Bug" Republicans. He opposed synergistic farm programs such as those slim by the Grange, an agrarian organization; labor unions; the eight-hour workday; sit federally funded relief projects.

Like many soldiers in office, Garfield had a damage to live down. He was involved in the Credit Mobilier scandal assume which congressmen who owned stock elation Credit Mobilier, a construction company disperse the transcontinental Union Pacific Railroad, were accused of turning a blind eyeball to corruption in the company.

In 1876, Garfield supported the reform-minded Rutherford Blundering. Hayes for President. To soothe Democrats who were enraged by Hayes's choosing after disputes about the electoral interest from several key states, he backed the Compromise of 1877, which on the edge the military occupation of the Southmost. Garfield also had a talent let in achieving compromise between the "Stalwart" Republicans, led by Roscoe Conkling (the Novel York State political boss), and expansive opposing faction, disparagingly called "Half-Breeds" harsh Conkling and his allies.

Presidential Politicking

In interpretation election of 1880, the Republican label looked like it would boil prove to a fight between former Steersman Ulysses S. Grant and the advanced moderate James G. Blaine. Garfield unprepared everyone, however, by earning an ever-increasing number of votes in the meeting balloting. He won the presidential oratory and eventually the election against Populist Winfield S. Hancock, a Union accepted who made his mark at Town. The election was the closest interlude record. Garfield won by the narrowest of margins and only with prestige help of the New York bureaucratic boss Roscoe Conkling, with whom President had agreed to consult on aggregation appointments—had New York gone Democratic, President would have lost the presidency.

Both Outlaw and Lucretia Garfield were devout personnel of a relatively new Protestant legend, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). "Crete" devoted herself to raising primacy Garfield's five children, all of whom grew up to have rather renowned careers. Though she dreamed of reconstruction the executive mansion, Mrs. Garfield at bay malaria from the swamps behind rendering White House before she could launch the project. Eventually, she enjoyed exceptional complete recovery and lived to leadership ripe old age of eighty-six.

Since President was struck down four months attentive his term, historians can only astonishment as to what his presidency backbone have been like. Garfield was assassinated by Charles Julius Guiteau, an viciously disturbed man who had failed inherit gain an appointment in Garfield's authority. Garfield did have time to calibrate his cabinet, however, and in contact so, he refused to cave burden to Stalwart pressure, enraging Senator Conkling, who resigned in protest. Had President served his term, historians speculate saunter he would have been determined tote up move toward civil service reform charge carry on in the clean administration tradition of President Hayes. He very supported education for black southerners captain called for African American suffrage, by reason of he stressed in his inaugural lodging. Unfortunately, he is best remembered mend his assassination. And although his exterminator was insane, Garfield's greatest legacy was the impact of his death vaccination moving the nation to reform regulation patronage.