James A. Garfield worked very hard throughout his life, succeeding at many things, including his education, his military career, and, of course, politics.

James A. Garfield (1831-1881) is often forgotten among the Presidents of the United States - surely a result of the fact that he served in this capacity for only six months - the second shortest ever served by a President.

His life prior to his short time in office, however, certainly deserves mention, as he showed himself to be both hard working and capable in all he did.

Early Life

Born and raised in Orange Township, Ohio, Garfield attended a local school to recieve his elementary education, then moved on to the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute in Hiram, Ohio, and finally Williams College in Williamstown, Massachussettes for his secondary education, graduating in 1856.

A very good student, Garfield spent some time immediately after college teaching classical languages at the Eclectic Institute, but this only lasted for a single year, ending when, in 1857, he was made principle of the institute. So intelligent and capable was he at the linguistic arts, that it was said that he could simultaneously write in Greek with one hand and Latin with the other.

During this time Garfield also spent some time preaching at a local church before deciding that this line of work did not necessarily agree with him.

Leaving his post as principle of the institute in 1860, Garfield entered into his first political post, having been elected a state senator in the 1859 election. During this time as well, just as the Civil War was on the horizon, Garfield decided to change his career entirely, studying law privately, and being admitted to the Ohio bar in 1860. He did not have time to savor his new careers in law or politics, however, as the start of the Civil War saw Garfield heading directly to the front lines.

Military Career

A strong leader and brave soldier, Garfield was given command of an infantry unit. After his very first campaign as Colonal, Garfield's success in driving back Confederate forces in Kentucky during December of 1861 and January of 1862, earned him the rank of Brigadier General.

Further military action saw Garfield further distinguish himself, despite poor health which put him out of action for nearly a year.

Even as the war continued, when the election of 1863 came up, Garfield decided to enter into politics once again, running for (and winning) election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Shortly after the election, but before actually arriving in his new post in Washington, Garfield was given his final military promotion - to Major General.

House of Representatives

After being elected to the 38th Congress in 1863, Garfield would run for and win reelection seven times, staying in the house until resigning to run for President in the election of 1880.

While in the house during the final two years of the Civil War, through the ordeal surrounding President Lincoln's death and Andrew Johnson's failed attempt at the Presidency, and through the radical reconstruction policies of Ulysses S. Grant, Garfield strongly supported hawkish measures against the south.

James Garfield had never wavered from his Republican ideals. Unlike his predecessors in the party, Lincoln, Grant, and Hayes, Garfield had not merely been opposed to slavery, but had been a fervent abolitionist, believing that force in the Civil War was necessary not only to preserve the union, but to end the moral tragedy of slavery.

During his long tenure in Congress, Garfield served on many important committees, including the House Ways and Means committee, the Appropriations Committee, and the Banking and Commerce Committee. His growing experience and his ability to often look past his somewhat radical partisanship and compromise with his political rivals allowed him to rise to the rank of House Minority leader during his last years in office.

Controversies

Garfield was very successful in the House, but his time there was not entirely without controversy. Garfield was one of more than thirty representatives to have been given stocks by Credit Mobiliar of America, a company associated with the Union Pacific Railroad.

Though Garfield claimed to only have been given $329 for the company, and thus was not politically ruined, it was still a scandal which somewhat marred his incorruptable image.

In addition, some controversy arose over Garfield's membership on the fifteen-member committee which comprimised in order to elect Rutherford B. Hayes in the 1876 election.

Election of 1880

When Hayes' term ended and the incumbent refused to run for a second, the Republican party needed a new nominee. The party had effectively split between two factions - Stalwarts, led by former President Grant (running for a third term), and Half-breeds, led by James G. Blaine.

With the split in the party, Garfield arose as a dark horse comprimise candidate, and after a landslide of voting at the party's convention, he was nominated on the thirty-sixth ballot, moving on to handily win the general election against Winfield Hancock, 214 electoral votes to 155.

Presidency

Because of the continued faction in the Republican party, Garfield's short time in office was bogged down by infighting - himself against the stalwarts of the party, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling.

The only truly important thing that Garfield accomplished during his Presidency was to appoint the members of his cabinet, which was opposed by the Stalwart leadership. Succeeding in this, leading Conkling to resign from office, Garfield had won an important victory.

It was short-lived, however, as was Garfield himself. On July 2nd, 1881, Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau, a man claiming to be a Stalwart, whose words at the time were, "I am a Stalwart! Arthur is President." After more than two months of pain and suffering, the President died and, indeed, Vice President Chester A. Arthur (a Stalwart) was President.

Garfield's Presidential legacy is admittedly limited, but his life deserves a certain amount of laud.

See Also:

The Slow Death of James Garfield

References:

"James A. Garfield." American President: An Online Reference Resource.

"Biography of James Garfield." The White House.