James Garfield 20th President of the United States Date of Birth: 19.11.1831 Country: USA

1. James Garfield: Early Life and Political Career
2. Early Life and Education
3. Political Career
4. Presidential Campaign and Tenure
5. Assassination and Legacy

James Garfield: Early Life and Political Career

James Garfield, the 20th president of the United States, was born on November 19, 1831, near Cleveland, Ohio. Despite his brief tenure in office, he is noteworthy for more than just being the target of an assassination attempt. Garfield personified the American ideal of a self-made man.

Early Life and Education

Garfield grew up as an orphan, enduring a childhood marked by hardships. He received his education with a Christian focus and began working on a farm and as a canal boatman at a young age. The ambitious and curious young man managed to attend the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (later known as Hiram College) and later studied at Williams College in New England. At the age of 26, he became the president of the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, where he eventually chaired the Department of Ancient Languages and Literature.

Political Career

Garfield's interest in politics sparked at an early age. In the spring of 1859, he was elected to the Ohio Senate. As a brilliant orator and staunch opponent of slavery, he quickly rose to become the leader of the Republicans. During the Civil War, Garfield led the recruitment of the 42nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry and eventually assumed command. In 1862, he was elected to the House of Representatives in Washington, where he advocated for military occupation of the South, suffrage for African Americans, and restrictive financial policies. He staunchly opposed patronage and nepotism.

Presidential Campaign and Tenure

In 1877, Garfield represented Ohio as a senator. Three years later, he participated in the Republican National Convention. While many party members supported Ulysses S. Grant's bid for a third term, Garfield backed John Sherman as the presidential candidate. However, due to a deep divide within the party, no candidate secured the required majority. Unexpectedly, Garfield found himself on the roster, and after 36 rounds of voting, he became the nominee for president.

As an unwavering opponent of the South, Garfield declared at the party convention that the North had been "right" and the South had been "wrong" in the Civil War. Simultaneously, he expressed his support for expanding reform measures. Garfield received political backing from President Hayes, who advised and guided him. One of Garfield's crucial tasks was to unify the Republicans into a cohesive party to challenge the Democrats in the upcoming election. To maintain this unity, Chester Arthur was chosen as the vice presidential candidate to appeal to the more steadfast members of the party. Additionally, during his campaign, Garfield made a goodwill trip to New York to secure support from the influential party machine.

Garfield won the election in November 1880, receiving 214 electoral votes compared to Democrat Winfield Scott's 155, with a popular vote advantage of only 7,368. While the balance of power in the Senate remained even, the Republicans gained an absolute majority in the House of Representatives. Garfield attempted to select his cabinet members independently of various party factions. However, his appointments, such as James G. Blaine as Secretary of State, and his refusal to appoint someone from the influential New York Senator Roscoe Conkling's camp to an equally important position, alienated the New York faction. The struggle for presidential independence in filling government positions was further fueled by the appointment of William Robertson as the collector of customs for the port of New York. As a protest, both Conkling and Thomas Platt, also a senator from New York, resigned from Congress.

Assassination and Legacy

Garfield's victory over the patronage system strengthened the president's independent position. However, the power struggle within the party hindered and overshadowed his efforts to reform government and finance systems, as well as other significant political issues. While his initiatives were not fully realized, Garfield did make progress in improving educational opportunities for African Americans and fought against economic and political oppression through the Union.

On July 2, 1881, Garfield, accompanied by the Secretary of State and his two sons, was shot by Charles Guiteau at the Washington-Pennsylvania train station. Guiteau explained his actions by saying, "I am a stalwart of the stalwarts, and now Arthur is President." Garfield succumbed to his injuries on September 19, 1881. His wife, Lucretia Randolph, whom he had known since childhood and married in 1858, cared for him until his death. He left behind five children, two of whom died at a young age. Two of his sons later held prominent government positions under Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

It is difficult to say how Garfield's presidency would have unfolded had he not been assassinated a few months after his inauguration. John Hay, Lincoln's personal secretary, believed that Garfield entered the presidency with better preparation and greater intellectual abilities than any other president in half a century. Pursuing the same political goals as Hayes, Garfield strengthened the position of the presidency while striving to establish constructive relations between the legislative and executive branches.