ELECTION OF 1880
For the Republicans:
Hayes retires after one term
Grant wants to come back and be president…
Grant receives support from Stalwarts (conservatives)
John Sherman & James Blaine split the ½ Breeds (moderates)
James A. Garfield will become the compromise candidate
Chester Arthur will run as VP to please Stalwarts…
For the Democrats:
Winfield Hancock from Pennsylvania.
West Point graduate
War Hero…stops Pickett's Charge
JAMES A. GARFIELD
Republican
WINFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK
Democrat
Lackluster campaign…
They differed very little on the issues
Garfield gets support from Roscoe Conkling who was
in charge of the Stalwarts
Results of the Election of 1880
Electoral Vote:
States Carried:
Popular Vote:
Percent of Vote:
GARFIELD
HANCOCK
214
19
4,446,158
48.3%
155
19
4,444,260
48.2%
JAMES GARFIELD BECOMES THE 20TH PRESIDENT
Info on President James Garfield:
Born: November 19, 1831 in a Log Cabin near Cleveland, Ohio
Physical Description: 6’ 185 pounds… Big head & left handed
Personality: A toucher, like to give hugs. Great speaker.
Placed career in the hands of destiny!!!
Recreation: Hunting & fishing, loved chess, euchre, & billiards
Moderate drinker and a avid reader
Early childhood of James Garfield: His father was a farmer
and a champion wrestler… Helps build the Erie Canal. Dies of
a cold when James was 18 months old. His mother Eliza is who
James credits his success… 1st mother of a president to attend
her son’s inauguration and will out live her son by 7 years.
Education: Graduates with honors from Williams College (Mass.)
Thinks about becoming a minister, but becomes a teacher
Marriage: Lurcetia “Crete” Rudolph on November 11, 1858.
Both were 26 years old. They will 4 sons & 1 daughter
Others: Affair with a Mrs. Calhoun… Wife forgives him!
Career before President:
Teacher, Passes the Bar in 1860 (studies on his own)
Ohio State Senator (1859-61) Lincoln supporter, praises
John Brown, Anti-slavery, Pro-War
Soldier in Civil War… goes from Lt. Colonel to General
US Representative (1863-80) Radical Republican, voted
to impeach Pres. Johnson, supported Grant as President,
implicated in the Credit Mobilier scandal (no damage)
supported Hayes as President
In 1880 elected to the Senate but declines when he becomes
President of the United States.
As a Lawyer he will do his 1st court case in front of the
Supreme Court (1st attorney to do so) Ex Parte Milligan
GARFIELD’S ADMINISTRATION:
Will only last from March 4th to September 19th 1881
1. Garfield and Conkling fight over political jobs… Garfield
wins and breaks Conkling political powers
2. Star Route Scandal: 1st week as President, Garfield has
mail route contracts checked…finds major corruption.
Orders investigators to turn everyone in…many from the
Republican party…Reason why he wanted Civil Service
Reform..
President Garfield’s Assassination:
When: July 2, 1881 9:30 AM in Washington DC
Who: Charles Guiteau (39 years old)
PRESIDENT GARFIELD’S ASSASSINATION
Charles Guiteau will stalk the President for weeks, 3 times he
backs down, finally on July 2 he shoots the President 2 times.
1 bullet grazed his arm the other enters his lower back and
lodges near his pancreas.
GARFIELD’S ASSASSINATION:
Guiteau purchased this gun to
kill President Garfield because
he liked the way it looked and
said it would look good in a
museum…
Reason why he shot Garfield??? He was mad that he did not
get a political job… He had no ill will against the President, he
said Garfield’s death was a political necessity… "I am a
Stalwart of the Stalwarts. .. Arthur is president now!!”
Why President Garfield died: Blood poisoning from probing
for the bullet... Garfield dies on September 19th 1881
Charles Guiteau will be hanged on June 30, 1882… He will write a letter
to President Arthur saying he should appreciate what he did for him…
He said it was an act of God!!!
Before he was hanged, he read from the Bible and sang a song he wrote:
“I am going to the Lordy, I am so glad”…
GARFIELD’S TOMB
Cleveland, Ohio