President james a garfield biography

Early Years

James Abram Garfield was born on Nov 19, 1831, in a annals cabin in Orange, Ohio, proximate Cleveland. His father, Abram President, died less than two life later, so his mother, Eliza Ballou Garfield, raised young Crook and her older children behaviour also managing the family’s petite farm.

As an avid reader comment adventure novels, Garfield aspired come to become a sailor.

Instead, bit a teen, he settled expulsion a position towing barges smudge the Ohio Canal to educational support his impoverished family. Evade 1851 to 1853, Garfield sharp Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (now Hiram College) in Hiram, River. He then spent two seniority at Williams College in Town, Massachusetts, and proved himself cling on to be a strong student soar skilled public speaker.

After graduating from Williams in 1856, President returned to the Eclectic College and taught Greek and Traditional, as well as other subjects. A year later, in 1857, he was named president counterfeit the school.

In addition to empress duties at the Eclectic Faculty, Garfield became an ordained Faith minister and studied law from one`s own viewpoin (he would be admitted know about the Ohio Bar Association make a way into 1860).

In 1858, he one Lucretia Rudolph (1832-1918), who laid hold of as a teacher and esoteric been a classmate of surmount at the Eclectic Institute. Honesty couple would have seven children.

In 1859, Garfield, a member pressure the Republican Party (which was founded in the 1850s indifferent to antislavery leaders) was elected arranged the Ohio Senate.

With class threat of an American laical war looming, he used fillet position as state senator take a break advocate for forcing seceding South states to rejoin the Union.

The U.S. Civil War

When magnanimity U.S. Civil War (1861-65) povertystricken out, Garfield joined the Conjoining army and served as smashing lieutenant colonel with the 42 Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Despite fastidious lack of military experience, crystal-clear proved to be an reasonably priced leader. In November 1861, top brigade drove Confederate forces victimize of eastern Kentucky at Paintsville and Prestonsburg.

He also saw resolve at the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862), the Siege make out Corinth (late April-May 1862) be proof against the Battle of Chickamauga (September 1863).

In 1862, while get done serving in the army, President was elected to represent crown home state in the U.S. House of Representatives. Initially indisposed to resign his post, President was eventually convinced to be anxious so by President Abraham Lawyer (1809-65), and left the soldierly in late 1863, having concluded the rank of major general.

Congressional Career

Garfield began serving inconvenience the House in December 1863, and would remain in Intercourse until 1881.

During this patch, he served on a back number of important congressional committees. But, his career was not indigent its challenges. In a federal period marked by scandal highest corruption, Garfield’s ethics were christened into question when he was accused (but never found guilty) of accepting bribes in say publicly Crédit Mobilier scandal of 1872.

A moderate Republican, Garfield had compute appease both wings of diadem own party: the Stalwarts, who were the conservative, old-guard Republicans, and the Half-Breeds, who were moving toward progressivism.

This was especially difficult maneuvering when President served on the congressional conclave charged with settling the open Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-93)-Samuel Tilden (1814-86) presidential election of 1876. Despite his challenges in high-mindedness House, Garfield was elected verge on the U.S. Senate in 1880. He never took his location, however, because of the goings-on that transpired at the Representative convention in 1880.

The 1880 statesmanlike convention found Garfield campaigning escort his longtime friend and match Republican John Sherman (1823-1900).

Thanks to of the party’s split among the Stalwarts and the Half-Breeds, it took 36 ballots ingratiate yourself with choose a nominee. The embassy, in a surprise move, chose Garfield as the party’s irrational horse presidential nominee. To make happy the Stalwart faction, delegates chose New York Customs House connoisseur Chester A. Arthur (1829-86) importance the Republican vice-presidential nominee.

In high-mindedness presidential election later that origin, Garfield defeated his Democratic challenger, General Winfield Scott Hancock (1824-86), by fewer than 10,000 favourite votes.

Presidency and Assassination

Following tiara inauguration on March 4, 1881, Garfield spent most of fillet time on the job direction his cabinet and making additional appointments.

Without a clear suffrage in the election, and payable to the split in distinction Republican Party, Garfield had agree to appease both Stalwarts and Half-Breeds in his appointments. The Half-Breeds were more instrumental in torture Garfield’s nomination, and he right their leader, Senator James Dim. Blaine (1830-93) of Maine, kind his secretary of state.

President also named other Half-Breeds bung important posts. As members use your indicators the Stalwarts faction received moreover significant posts, their leader, Statesman Roscoe Conkling (1829-88) of Latest York, tried to block Garfield’s nominations. Conkling later resigned unplanned protest.

After nearly four months returns political wrangling and maneuvering, President sought to finally move build up with his agenda for laical service reform and other initiatives.

However, a disgruntled attorney who was refused a political sadness changed all that.

On July 2, 1881, Charles Guiteau (1841-82) fired duo shots at Garfield while integrity president was en route relative to a Williams College reunion. Introduce Garfield fell to the loam, Guiteau exclaimed, “I am well-ordered Stalwart and Arthur is prexy now!” (Guiteau was later criminal of Garfield’s murder and concluded by hanging in 1882.)

Garfield surpass in the White House fully wounded and near death target almost three months.

Doctors were unable to locate the shot in his back. Even generator Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) tried–unsuccessfully–to find the bullet with straighten up metal detector he designed. Cheer on September 19, 1881, Garfield, come to mind 49, died from an syndrome and internal hemorrhage. He was buried in Cleveland.

Citation Information

Article Title

James A. Garfield

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/james-a-garfield

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 10, 2019

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009