[143] Frelinghuysen advised Arthur not to fill any future vacancies with Stalwarts, but when Postmaster General James resigned in January 1882, Arthur selected Timothy O. Howe, a Wisconsin Stalwart. [72] Murphy's reputation as a war profiteer and his association with Tammany Hall made him unacceptable to many of his own party, but Conkling convinced the Senate to confirm him. [140][n] Attorney General Wayne MacVeagh was next to resign, believing that, as a reformer, he had no place in an Arthur cabinet. The United States Bureau of Labor is created within the Department of the Interior; an independent Department of Labor will not be created until 1913. [179] Democrats turned against the "New Navy" projects and, when they won control of the 48th Congress, refused to appropriate funds for seven more steel warships. [37], After graduating in 1848, Arthur returned to Schaghticoke and became a full-time teacher, and soon began to pursue an education in law. Arthur owned at least 80 pairs of pants. Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 - November 18, 1886) was a politician of the United States who served as the twenty-first President. Arthur was also involved in the so-called Lemmon slave case, in which the New York Supreme Court ruled in 1860 that slaves being transferred to a slave state through New York would be freed. In 1848, after graduating from Union College, he taught at Schaghticoke in Rensselaer County. Arthur vetoes the first Chinese Exclusion Act, which would have banned the immigration of Chinese laborers for twenty years and denied American citizenship to current Chinese residents; the veto greatly angers labor groups, who feel increasingly threatened by the influx of Chinese labor. [10] Arthur's mother, Malvina Stone was born in Berkshire, Vermont, the daughter of George Washington Stone and Judith Stevens. Andrew Jackson: Accomplishments & Historical Significance, The Presidential Policies of Andrew Jackson. [153] That year, Arthur expressed satisfaction with the new system, praising its effectiveness "in securing competent and faithful public servants and in protecting the appointing officers of the Government from the pressure of personal importunity and from the labor of examining the claims and pretensions of rival candidates for public employment. Later that day he took a train to Long Branch to pay his respects to Garfield and to leave a card of sympathy for his wife, afterwards returning to New York City. [155] Opinions varied on how to balance the budget; the Democrats wished to lower tariffs, in order to reduce revenues and the cost of imported goods, while Republicans believed that high tariffs ensured high wages in manufacturing and mining. [149] Both Democratic and Republican leaders realized that they could attract the votes of reformers by turning against the spoils system and, by 1882, a bipartisan effort began in favor of reform. [73] A rising tide of reform within the party caused Arthur to rename the financial extractions from employees as "voluntary contributions" in 1872, but the concept remained, and the party reaped the benefit of controlling government jobs. [49] The office was a patronage appointment of minor importance until the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, when New York and the other northern states were faced with raising and equipping armies of a size never before seen in American history. Chester A. Arthur | Presidents of the United States (POTUS) Chester A. Arthur 1 2 3 4 5 21st President of the United States (September 19, 1881 to March 3, 1885) Nickname: "The Gentleman Boss"; "Elegant Arthur" Born: October 5, 1829, in Fairfield, Vermont Died: November 18, 1886, in New York, New York Father: William Arthur (1796-1875) Rational Irrationality, Caplan's Rational Irrationality: Definition & Economics, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community, Limiting Immigration: Arthur signed the 1882, Building a Modern Navy: Known as the ''Father of the Steel Navy'' Arthur oversaw the building and expansion of the U.S. Navy, including the establishment of the. To the surprise of reformers, he advocated and enforced the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. In addition, he indulged his military interest by becoming Judge Advocate General for the Second Brigade of the New York Militia. He later was removed from the job by President Rutherford Hayes (1822-1893) in an attempt to reform the spoils system. [128] The assassin, Charles J. Guiteau was a deranged office-seeker who believed that Garfield's successor would appoint him to a patronage job. He kept the condition a secret from the public; however, his poor health prevented him from actively seeking reelection in 1884. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. [14] They quickly moved from Burlington to Jericho, and finally to Waterville, as William received positions teaching at different schools. [174], In his 1881 annual message, Arthur advocated a stronger Navy. [50] Arthur was commissioned as a brigadier general and assigned to the state militia's quartermaster department. When he became an attorney, he had his law practice in New York City. Chandler, an aggressive administrator, purged the Navy of wood-and-canvas warship supporters and created the Naval War College. Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution establishes the Executive Branch read more, The Republican William Howard Taft worked as a judge in Ohio Superior Court and in the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals before accepting a post as the first civilian governor of the Philippines in 1900. [20] Arthur also supported the Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish republican organization founded in America; he showed this support by wearing a green coat. As president from 1881 to 1885, Arthur advocated for civil service. The first vacancy arose in July 1881 with the death of Associate Justice Nathan Clifford, a Democrat who had been a member of the Court since before the Civil War. [10], Arthur's father, William Arthur, was born in 1796 in Dreen, Cullybackey, County Antrim, Ireland to a Presbyterian family of Scots-Irish descent. [57] The couple took their son's death hard, and when they had another son, Chester Alan Jr., in 1864, they lavished attention on him. In the midterm elections, Democrats gain 50 seats in the House giving them a 197-118 majority (ten remaining seats were filled by minor parties). [16][17] He was named "Chester" after Chester Abell,[18] the physician and family friend who assisted in his birth, and "Alan" for his paternal grandfather. The President Chester A. Arthur State Historic Site was the first historic site owned by the State of Vermont. For years, government jobs in the United States had been distributed via the spoils system. Arthur worked for one of the most prominent law firms in New York City. [149] In 1880, Democratic Senator George H. Pendleton of Ohio introduced legislation that required selection of civil servants based on merit as determined by an examination. [171][o], In the years following the Civil War, American naval power declined precipitously, shrinking from nearly 700 vessels to just 52, most of which were obsolete. After exiting the White House in March 1885, Arthur returned to New York City to resume his legal career. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James A. Garfield. [37] After completing his college preparation at the Lyceum of Union Village (now Greenwich) and a grammar school in Schenectady, Arthur enrolled at Union College there in 1845, where he studied the traditional classical curriculum. How Did Chester A. Arthur Become President? [205] He managed a few public appearances until the end of 1885. [105] Arthur and the machine had rebuked Hayes and their intra-party rivals, but Arthur had only a few days to enjoy his triumph when, on January 12, 1880, his wife died suddenly while he was in Albany organizing the political agenda for the coming year. [144], In the 1870s, a scandal was exposed, in which contractors for star postal routes were greatly overpaid for their services with the connivance of government officials (including Second Assistant Postmaster General Thomas J. Brady and former senator Stephen Wallace Dorsey). After James Garfield was assassinated in 1881, Chester A. Arthur became President of the United States. His father, William Arthur, had immigrated to the United States from northern Ireland when he was 18 and had become a Baptist minister. Following a funeral in Manhattan, the former president was buried beside his wife in the Arthur family plot in the Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, New York. [42], When Arthur joined the firm, Culver and New York attorney John Jay (the grandson of the Founding Father John Jay) were pursuing a habeas corpus action against Jonathan Lemmon, a Virginia slaveholder who was passing through New York with his eight slaves. He took on few assignments with the firm and was often too ill to leave his house. The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material associated with Chester A. Arthur, including the Chester Alan Arthur Papers. Their dedication to corruption and injustice left an imprint on American politics. [59], Arthur's political prospects improved along with his law practice when his patron, ex-Governor Morgan, was elected to the United States Senate. "Charles Guiteau's reasons for assassinating President Garfield, 1882 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History", "James K Polk: Life After the Presidency", "In the Encampment at the Reunion at Ashland", "Original Civil War Officer Members of MOLLUS", "Where a President Took the Oath, Indifference May Become Official", "The Diaries of Malvina Arthur: Windows Into The Past of Our 21st President", "The Mystery of Chester Alan Arthur's Birthplace", "Chester A. Arthur Is the Most Forgotten President in U.S. History, According to Science", "Republican State Committee: Gen. Chester A. Arthur Elected Chairman Campaign Plans", "Organization of the Republican State Committee", "The New Administration; President Arthur Formally Inaugurated", "The Loyal Legion: Meeting Last Night; President Arthur Elected to Membership", "Leading Officials: The Three Principal Officers in the Nebraska Posts", "Sister of Arthur Dead: Mrs. Regina M. Caw Was Born In Dunham, Canada in 1822", "Sister of Late President Arthur Dies at Age of 87", "Mrs. John E. McElroy Dead: Sister of Late President Arthur Succumbs in Atlantic City", "Another Sister for Chester: Almeda Arthur Masten", "Supreme Court Nominations, present-1789", "Puzzles in Pop Culture: Die Hard With a Vengeance", "Historical Summary of Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Posts by State: Wisconsin", Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, Essays on Chester Arthur and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and First Lady, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chester_A._Arthur&oldid=1133648013, Regina (18221910), the wife of William G. Caw, a grocer, banker, and community leader of, Almeda (18251899), the wife of James H. Masten who served as postmaster of Cohoes and publisher of the, Ann (18281915), a career educator who taught school in New York and worked in, Malvina (18321920), the wife of Henry J. Haynesworth who was an official of the, William (18341915), a medical school graduate who became a career Army officer and paymaster, he was wounded during his Civil War service. [99] Conkling opposed the confirmation of Merritt and Burt when the Senate reconvened in February 1879, but Merritt was approved by a vote of 3125, as was Burt by 3119, giving Hayes his most significant civil service reform victory. Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 - November 18, 1886) was the fourth Totally Obscure President of the United States, serving from 1881 through 1885. [139], Arthur quickly came into conflict with Garfield's cabinet, most of whom represented his opposition within the party. [191] Arthur initially resisted their efforts, but after Secretary of the Interior Henry M. Teller, an opponent of allotment, assured him that the lands were not protected, Arthur opened up the Crow Creek Reservation in the Dakota Territory to settlers by executive order in 1885. He died in 1883. "[219] Indeed, Howe had earlier surmised, "Arthur adopted [a code] for his own political behavior but subject to three restraints: he remained to everyone a man of his word; he kept scrupulously free from corrupt graft; he maintained a personal dignity, affable and genial though he might be. [198] He played no role in the 1884 campaign, which Blaine would later blame for his loss that November to the Democratic nominee, Grover Cleveland.[199]. Copyright 2022. [148], Garfield's assassination by a deranged office seeker amplified the public demand for civil service reform. [40] In 1852, Arthur moved again, to Cohoes, New York, to become the principal of a school at which his sister, Malvina, was a teacher. Windup Teacher. [147] After a juror came forward with allegations that the defendants attempted to bribe him, the judge set aside the guilty verdicts and granted a new trial. [31][d][32][e][33] When Hinman's original story did not take root, he spread a new rumor that Arthur was born in Canada. [173] Garfield's Secretary of the Navy, William H. Hunt advocated reform of the Navy. He served from 1881 to 1885, taking office after the death of President James Garfield (R) in 1881. The original designer, John Roebling, died of an infection caused by an injury he received only days after having secured permission to begin his project. Political opponent of the President and former secretary of state James G. Blaine defeats Arthur for the nomination; John A. Logan is selected as vice president. [54] When Reuben Fenton won the 1864 election for governor, Arthur requested reappointment; Fenton and Arthur were from different factions of the Republican Party, and Fenton had already committed to appointing another candidate, so Arthur did not return to military service. [125] Even so, the Senate remained deadlocked for two months over Garfield's nominations because of Conkling's opposition to some of them. Less than four months later, on July 2, Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau (1841-1882), a mentally unstable, disgruntled political job seeker, at a train station in Washington, D.C. [70] In 1871, Grant offered to name Arthur as Commissioner of Internal Revenue, replacing Alfred Pleasonton; Arthur declined the appointment. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Among the facts that argue against Hinman's theories are the entries for Chester A. Arthur in several U.S. Censuses from before he was politically prominent, which list his birthplace as Vermont, and the entry of his birth in the Arthur family Bible, which also indicates Vermont as his birthplace. Arthur issues a proclamation warning people not to settle on Oklahoma lands. 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