James Abram Garfield
At a Glance
Term: 20th President of the United States (1881)
Born: November 19, 1831, Orange Township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Nickname: None
Education: Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (now Hiram College), Williams College (graduated 1856)
Religion: Disciples of Christ
Marriage: November 11, 1858, to Lucretia Rudolph (1832-1918)
Children: Eliza A. (1860-1863), Harry A. (1863-1942), James R. (1865-1950), Mary (1867-1947), Irvin M. (1870-1951), Abram (1872-1958), Edward (1874-1876)
Career: Teacher, Public Official
Political Party: Republican
Writings: Diary, 1848-1874 (2 vols., 1967), ed. by H. J. Brown and F. D. Williams
Died: September 19, 1881, Elberon, New Jersey
Buried: Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio
A Life in Brief: James A. Garfield is remembered as one of the four "lost Presidents" who served rather uneventfully after the Civil War. Of the four lost Presidents -- Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, and Harrison -- Garfield is best remembered for his dramatic assassination a mere 100 days after he assumed office. More....
Essays on James Abram Garfield and His Administration
|
James Abram Garfield
A Life in Brief • Life Before the Presidency • Campaigns and Elections • Domestic Affairs • Foreign Affairs • Death of the President • Family Life • The American Franchise • Impact and Legacy • Key Events |
| First Lady Lucretia Garfield |
| Vice President Chester Arthur (1881) |
| Secretary of State James G. Blaine (1881) |
| Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln (1881) |
| Postmaster General Thomas L. James (1881) |
| Secretary of the Interior Samuel J. Kirkwood (1881) |
| Secretary of the Treasury William Windom (1881) |
| Attorney General Isaac Wayne MacVeagh (1881) |
| Secretary of the Navy William H. Hunt (1881) |
Consulting Editor: Justus Doenecke
Professor Doenecke is a professor emeritus of history at the New College of Florida. His writings include:
The Presidencies of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur (University Press of Kansas, 1981)
Debating Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Foreign Policies, 1933-1945 (With Mark S. Stoler, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2005)
Presidential Speeches
Below are selections from the Miller Center's James Abram Garfield speech collection. To view the Miller Center's other speeches by James Abram Garfield or by another President, please click the link below.
Miller Center Scholarship and Speakers
The Miller Center of Public Affairs is a national nonpartisan center to research, reflect, and report on American government, with special attention to the central role and history of the presidency. Below is a selection of Miller Center resources on James Abram Garfield.
Listen to Historian Alan Peskin’s 1996 presentation at the Miller Center on Why Garfield Did Not Become a Great President.
Click here to learn more about the Center’s National Commission on Presidential Disability and the 25th Amendment and its relationship to Garfield.
Scripps Library Reference Resources
Below are links to reference resources prepared by the Miller Center's Scripps Library that are designed to help students and scholars quickly conduct their research.
Information on James Abram Garfield's Private and Public Papers
The Miller Center is committed to presenting the most accurate information on our American Presidents. Please make a gift to the Miller Center Foundation today. Your gift will ensure free access to American President for thousands of students, teachers and individuals who wish to learn more about the leaders whose contributions shaped our great country.
