Transcript James A. Garfield

James A. Garfield

20th President of the
United States of America

Presidential Term: March
4, 1881 - September 19,
1881
Background/Family




Born in a log cabin in Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio on November 19, 1831.
His father, Abram Garfield died & his mother, Eliza Ballou, had to raise their family by
herself.
From 1851 - 1854, he attended the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute in Hiram, Ohio. He
transferred to Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts & graduated in 1856.
On November 11, 1858, he married Lucretia Rudolph. They had seven children (five sons
and two daughters)
Political Rise to Presidency

With the start of the Civil War, Garfield
enlisted in the Union Army, and was
assigned to command the 42nd Ohio
Volunteer Infantry.

On October 1862, he was elected by the
Republicans to the United States House
of Representatives for Ohio's 19th
Congressional District in the 38th
Congress.

In 1876, when James G. Blaine moved
from the House to the United States
Senate, Garfield became the Republican
floor leader of the House.
PIRATES: Political


Garfield decided that the academic life was not for him and studied law privately. He
was a Republican all his political life.
James Garfield had never separated from his Republican ideals. Unlike Lincoln, Grant,
and Hayes, Garfield had not merely been opposed to slavery, but had been an
abolitionist, believing that force in the Civil War was necessary not only to preserve the
union, but to end slavery.
PIRATES: Intellectual

The intellectual prowess of James Garfield
is often overlooked as a result of his short
tenure in office.

By the time he was fourteen, young Garfield
was fairly knowledgeable in arithmetic and
grammar and was particularly interested in
the facts of American history, having eagerly
gathered information from the meager
treaties that circulated in that remote section
of Ohio. In fact, he read and reread every
book the scanty libraries of his part of the
wilderness supplied, and many he learned by
heart. The tales of the sea especially thrilled
Garfield and a love for adventure took over
him.
PIRATES: Religious

He was a Disciple of Christ. In his
early adulthood, Garfield
sometimes preached and held
revival meetings.
PIRATES: Arts/Cultural



Garfield's assassination is mentioned in the
Johnny Cash tune, "Mister Garfield (Has
Been Shot Down)"
Garfield Monument in Washington, D.C.
(picture)
The cartoon cat Garfield is named for artist
Jim Davis' grandfather James A. Garfield
Davis, who in turn was named for president
Garfield.
Garfield Monument
PIRATES: Technology

James Garfield was the
Ohio representative during
the reconstruction of the
Transcontinental Railroad.
PIRATES: Economical

Scandal almost ruined Garfield's career
when he was accused of accepting
money in return for supporting a
congressional funding of the
transcontinental railroad's construction
company.

He managed to survive the accusation
by saying he had accepted a legal fee
from a company involved in
government-contracted improvement
of Washington streets.
PIRATES: Social

Garfield was born in a log cabin so he was not born into a high
economic status but worked his way up the success ladder by
going to Hiram College, & Williams College. He became senator
of Ohio, General during the Civil War, and eventually president
of the United States.
Key Domestic Policy Issues:

The Spoils System, initially advocated
by Andrew Jackson, was in full swing.

The Republican party experienced a
mild split into the "stalwarts" and the
"half breeds." The stalwarts believed in
the spoils system, while the half breeds
debated the morals in government.

During the 1880 convention, the
Republicans nominated James A.
Garfield, a half-breed, for president,
and Chester A. Arthur, a stalwart, for
vice-president to balance their ticket.
Key Foreign Policy Issues:
Russell Lowell
Secretary of State
Blaine

James A. Garfield's foreign policy
activities were limited to filling vacant
diplomatic positions. Most notably was
his appointments of writer James
Russell Lowell as U.S. minister to
England & Lew Wallace, a former
Union general & popular writer, to the
post in Turkey.

During Garfield's short term in office,
Secretary of State Blaine was so
involved with patronage matters that
he had little time to deal with Latin
American affairs, the Chinese
immigration issue, or fishing disputes
with the British in the Pacific.
Quote:

“By the experience of commercial nations in all ages it has been found that gold and
silver afford the only safe foundation for a monetary system. Confusion has recently
been created by variations in the relative value of the two metals, but I confidently
believe that arrangements can be made between the leading commercial nations which
will secure the general use of both metals.”
Political Cartoon:
This cartoon shows Garfield finding a baby at his front door with a tag marked
"Civil Service Reform, compliments of R.B. Hayes". Hayes is in the background
dressed like a woman & holding a bag marked "R.B. Hayes' Savings”
- Successes/Failures:

Ohio Representative

20th President of the
United States of
America.
Battle of
Bull Run

Coming after the
reverses at Big Bethel,
Bull Run, and the
disastrous failures in
Missouri, General
Garfield's triumph over
the Confederate forces at
Middle Creek had an
encouraging effect on the
entire north.
“One Word”
Forgotten
Garfield is often forgotten among the Presidents of the United States - surely
a result of the fact that he served in this capacity for only six months - the
second shortest ever served by a President.
His life prior to his short time in office, however, certainly deserves
mention, as he showed himself to be both hard working and capable in all he
did.
Impact on Current Events:

Murdered within months of his
inauguration, Garfield served as
President too briefly for him to
have left much of an impact. His
reputation is remembered as a
martyr above all else, as one who
truly gave his life for his nation.

Also, because of his short
presidency its difficult to
determine wither he would have
been successful at running for
president today.
Cabinet Members:
Vice President: Chester A. Arthur

Secretary of State: James G. Blaine

Secretary of Treasury: William Windom

Secretary of War: Robert Todd Lincoln

Attorney General: Wayne MacVeagh

Postmaster General: Thomas L. James

Secretary of the Navy: William H. Hunt
Secretary of the Interior: Samuel J. Kirkwood


Post-Presidential Activities:

Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau
on September 19, 1881. as he was
walking through the Sixth Street
Station of the Baltimore & Potomac
Railroad.

Guiteau was upset because he was
denied being appointed as the United
States consul in Paris.

After Garfield died, his successor
enacted the Pendleton Act, which
dismantled the spoils system in favor
of bureaucracy of merit.
Charles J. Guiteau
Bibliography:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jamesgarfield

http://www.usa-presidents.info/garfield.htm

http://www.google.com/search?q=james+garfield&hl=en&client=firefoxa&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&hs=1t5&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=rLtjS4ubEIv2sQP_ttWdAw&sa=X
&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=19&ved=0CD8Q5wIwEg

http://www.potus.com/jagarfield.html

http://www.americanpresidents.org/presidents/president.asp?PresidentNum
ber=20
Team Members:
Magaly Orozco & Elizabeth Gonzalez
AP US History
period 1