Garfield

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Lore & Background

Garfield's journey began in Orange Township, Ohio, where he was born the youngest of five children. His father died when James was an infant, leaving his mother Eliza to raise him in poverty. Mocked by peers for his lack of wealth, young Garfield found escape in voracious reading and left home at 16 to work on canal boats managing mules. Illness forced his return, leading to a pivotal promise to attend school instead of laboring. He excelled at Geauga Seminary, discovering a love for elocution and meeting his future wife, Lucretia Rudolph. After teaching and attending the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, he enrolled at Williams College as a third-year student, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1856. His political awakening occurred during his time at Williams, where abolitionist sentiments inspired him to campaign for John C. Frémont in 1856. He married Lucretia in 1858, and they had seven children, five of whom survived infancy.

In Their Own Story

On July 2, 1881, the course of Garfield's presidency—and history—changed forever. In a Baltimore railroad station, he was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a deluded office seeker who believed he had secured Garfield's nomination. The president lingered for two months in agony, suffering from infections related to his wounds as medical science struggled to treat him. He died on September 19, 1881, succeeded immediately by Vice President Chester A. Arthur. Before his death, Garfield had already engaged in a fierce political battle with Senator Roscoe Conkling of New York, leader of the 'Stalwart' faction. Defying the powerful senator, Garfield appointed William H. Robertson as Collector of the Port of New York. This move asserted presidential authority against senatorial courtesy, resulting in Conkling and Thomas C. Platt's resignations from the Senate. Though his term was short, he had already purged corruption in the Post Office and advocated for African American civil rights.

Reader's Guide

Garfield's legacy is defined by his intellectual depth and political courage despite a tenure cut short by assassination. He served nine terms in Congress as a Republican, firmly supporting the gold standard and gaining fame as a skilled orator. His views on Reconstruction evolved from Radical Republican alignment to a Moderate approach favoring civil rights enforcement for freedmen. Uniquely, he published his own proof of the Pythagorean theorem in 1876, showcasing an aptitude that extended beyond politics into mathematics and statistics-based policy advocacy. As president, he led the 'Half-Breed' faction against the 'Stalwarts,' successfully challenging the patronage system by securing Robertson's confirmation. His proposed civil service reforms were passed posthumously as the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883. Historians often rank him below average due to his brief term, yet modern views praise his anti-corruption efforts and potential for lasting change.

Did You Know?

• Garfield is the only sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives ever elected president.
• He published his own proof of the Pythagorean theorem in 1876, two years before becoming president.
• Before running for president, the Ohio General Assembly elected him to the U.S. Senate; he accepted the seat and later resigned after winning the presidency.
• Garfield served as a major general in the Union Army and fought in the battles of Middle Creek and Chickamauga during the Civil War.
• He was shot by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881, and died two months later from infections related to his wounds.

Rise from Humble Beginnings

James Abram Garfield was born the youngest of five children on November 19, 1831, in a log cabin in Orange Township (later Moreland Hills), Ohio. His ancestor Edward Garfield had migrated from Hillmorton, Warwickshire, England, to Massachusetts around 1630. James's father, Abraham, died later that year after marrying Eliza Ballou, who raised him in poverty within the Stone-Campbell church tradition. Mocked by peers for his lack of wealth, young Garfield became sensitive to slights and sought escape through voracious reading. At age 16 in 1847, he left home to work on a canal boat managing mules but returned after six weeks due to illness. During recovery, he promised to attend school instead of laboring. He enrolled at Geauga Seminary in 1848, excelling in languages and elocution, where he met Lucretia Rudolph. To support himself, he worked as a carpenter's assistant and itinerant teacher. In his late teens, he underwent a religious awakening, being baptized by submersion in the icy Chagrin River on March 4, 1850.

Military Service and Congressional Career

After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College in August 1856, Garfield returned to Ohio to teach at the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute. He was elected as a Republican member of the Ohio State Senate in 1859, serving until 1861 when he opposed Confederate secession. During the Civil War, he served as a major general in the Union Army, fighting in battles at Middle Creek, Shiloh, and Chickamauga. Elected to Congress in 1862 to represent Ohio's 19th district, he served nine terms, becoming a renowned orator who supported the gold standard. His political views on Reconstruction shifted from Radical Republican alignment to a Moderate approach favoring civil rights enforcement for freedmen. In 1876, he published his own proof of the Pythagorean theorem and advocated using statistics to inform government policy. Notably, before running for president, the Ohio General Assembly elected him to the U.S. Senate, a position he declined upon becoming president-elect.

Presidential Tenure and Political Battles

At the 1880 Republican National Convention, delegates chose Garfield as a compromise presidential nominee on the 36th ballot after he had not sought the White House. He conducted a low-key front porch campaign in the general election, narrowly defeating Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock. As president, Garfield asserted authority against senatorial courtesy by appointing William H. Robertson to the lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York, defying the powerful 'Stalwart' Senator Roscoe Conkling. This action led to Conkling and Thomas C. Platt's resignations from the Senate. His administration also purged corruption in the Post Office, advocated for agricultural technology and an educated electorate, and championed civil rights for African Americans. He appointed a Supreme Court justice during his term. Although he proposed substantial civil service reforms, these were passed by Congress in 1883 as the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act and signed into law by his successor, Chester A. Arthur.

Assassination and Historical Legacy

On July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a deluded office seeker. He died on September 19 from infections related to the wounds after a two-month struggle. Vice President Chester A. Arthur succeeded him immediately. Due to his brief term and lack of major changes enacted during his lifetime, historians often rank him as below-average or omit him entirely from presidential rankings. However, some scholars view his potential favorably, praising his strong anti-corruption stances and support for civil rights. His legacy includes being the only sitting House member elected president and a unique mathematical contribution with his proof of the Pythagorean theorem. His political battles against the 'Stalwart' faction laid groundwork for future civil service reforms, even if he did not live to see them fully realized.