THE LIFE OF JAMES GARFIELD

By: Seth Jarvis A1 1/14/15

Biography

Born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, on November 19, 1831 Graduated from Williams College in 1856 On November 11, 1858, Garfield married Lucretia

Rudolph, a former pupil. Had 7 Children Assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881, and

died from an infection and internal hemorrhage on September 19, 1881

Interesting Facts:1. James Garfield was the last of the “Log Cabin Presidents”

2. His father was a wrestler and died when he was only 2 years old

3. President Garfield’s mother was the first president’s mother to attend her son’s inauguration.

Political, Business, and Military Experience

Became a Brigade General at the age of 31

Elected to Ohio Senate in 1859 Became an instructor and

administrator at Eclectic Institute

Member of the Republican Party

Served in the House of Representatives

Presidency

Garfield was elected President in 1881

He ran against General Winfield Scott Hancock and won by a margin of only 10,000 votes

Vice President: Chester A. Arthur

Accomplishments/facts

1. Only served for 200 days

2. Reformed the post office system

3. Appointed several former slaves to government jobs, including Frederick Douglas

Life After Presidency

James A. Garfield was assassinated and later died while he was still president. Therefore, he was unable to accomplish anything after his presidency.

SUMMARY

James A. Garfield’s presidency, while short, was a good one. His greatest strength was his perseverance when it came to abolition. He recommended a universal education system that would be funded by the federal government and was designed to empower African Americans. I believe that President James A. Garfield was a good president because in the time that he served, he was still able to accomplish some of his goals.

Works Cited

Freidel, Frank, and Hugh Sidey. "James Garfield." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2015.

"James Garfield Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015.

"10 Interesting Facts About James Garfield." Republican Presidents RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015.