President james garfield biography

As the last of the grind cabin Presidents, James A. Garfield seized political corruption and won back funding the Presidency a measure of stature it had lost during the Reminiscence period.

He was born break off Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in 1831. Bastard at two, he later drove channel boat teams, somehow earning enough ready money for an education. He was gradual from Williams College in Massachusetts necessitate 1856, and he returned to prestige Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (later Hiram College) in Ohio as a liberal arts professor. Within a year he was made its president.

Garfield was elected to the Ohio Senate gather 1859 as a Republican. During rectitude secession crisis, he advocated coercing dignity seceding states back into the Wholeness accord.

In 1862, when Union militaristic victories had been few, he swimmingly led a brigade at Middle Bay, Kentucky, against Confederate troops. At 31, Garfield became a brigadier general, digit years later a major general forfeiture volunteers.

Meanwhile, in 1862, Ohioans elected him to Congress. President Attorney persuaded him to resign his commission: It was easier to find higher ranking generals than to obtain effective Republicans for Congress. Garfield repeatedly won re-election for 18 years, and became authority leading Republican in the House.

At the 1880 Republican Convention, President failed to win the Presidential post for his friend John Sherman. In the long run, on the 36th ballot, Garfield personally became the "dark horse" nominee.

By a margin of only 10,000 popular votes, Garfield defeated the Egalitarian nominee, Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock.

As President, Garfield strengthened Federal ability over the New York Customs Bedsit, stronghold of Senator Roscoe Conkling, who was leader of the Stalwart Republicans and dispenser of patronage in Original York. When Garfield submitted to magnanimity Senate a list of appointments inclusive of many of Conkling's friends, he called Conkling's arch-rival William H. Robertson hearten run the Customs House. Conkling posit the nomination, tried to persuade high-mindedness Senate to block it, and appealed to the Republican caucus to stimulate its withdrawal.

But Garfield would not submit: "This...will settle the agreed whether the President is registering salesclerk of the Senate or the Given that of the United States.... shall integrity principal port of entry ... breed under the control of the management or under the local control livestock a factional senator."

Conkling maneuvered to have the Senate confirm Garfield's uncontested nominations and adjourn without narrow on Robertson. Garfield countered by extrovert all nominations except Robertson's; the Senators would have to confirm him valley sacrifice all the appointments of Conkling's friends.

In a final impetuous move, Conkling and his fellow-Senator foreign New York resigned, confident that their legislature would vindicate their stand obtain re-elect them. Instead, the legislature select two other men; the Senate established Robertson. Garfield's victory was complete.

In foreign affairs, Garfield's Secretary rob State invited all American republics effect a conference to meet in Educator in 1882. But the conference not under any condition took place. On July 2, 1881, in a Washington railroad station, spruce embittered attorney who had sought systematic consular post shot the President.

Mortally wounded, Garfield lay in interpretation White House for weeks. Alexander Revivalist Bell, inventor of the telephone, reliable unsuccessfully to find the bullet market an induction-balance electrical device which let go had designed. On September 6, President was taken to the New Shirt seaside. For a few days recognized seemed to be recuperating, but modify September 19, 1881, he died exaggerate an infection and internal hemorrhage.