James A. Garfield 1881

Born: 1831, Orange, OH
Died: 1881

James Garfield was born in a log cabin on an Ohio farm. His father died when he was only two, and Garfield worked on canal boats to put himself through Williams College, later becoming a classics professor and college president. A vociferous opponent of slavery, he fought for the Union in the Civil War, rising to the rank of major general. He reluctantly resigned his commission when elected to Congress in 1862, after serving three years in the Ohio Senate. "Boatman Jim" was chosen by the Republicans in 1880 as a compromise Presidential candidate on the 36th ballot. He defeated the Democrats by less than 10,000 popular votes.

Once in office, Garfield took a stand against political corruption. He won a showdown with powerful New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, with his choice of Conkling's rival to head the New York Customs House. But an unrelated patronage decision cost Garfield his life. On July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot by an attorney who had been denied a government post. He died two months later - the second President killed by an assassin's bullet.

Twentieth President
Republican