James A. Garfield :: essays research papers

James A. Garfield     James A. Garfield was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in 1831. His begetter died in 1833, when Garfield was only two years old and so his motherhad to carry on working the family farm by herself. With the death of hisfather, the family feel into poverty. even off though they had very little money,his mother made sure that her children went to the neighborhood school to geta good education. He belonged to the Desciples of Christ Church.     While increment up, James drove canal boat teams, and earned enoughmoney to further his education at college. He attended Western Reserve eclectic Institute at Hiram, Ohio, and was graduated from Williams Collegein 1856. He returned to Western Eclectic Institute and became a classicsprofessor. Later, he became the president of the College.     In 1858, he was married to Lucretia Rudolph and had septette kids.Eliza, Harry, James, Mary, Irvin, Abram, and Edward.      James Garfield was an advocate for free-soil principles and soonbecame a supporter of the newly organized Republican Party. And in 1859,he was elected to the Ohio Legislature. During the succession crisis, headvocated coercing the seceding states ass into the Union.     During the Civil War, he helped to recruit the 42nd Ohio VolunteerInfantry and became the infantrys colonel. He fought at Shiloh in April 1862,served as a chief of staff in the Army of the Cumberland, saw action atChickamauga in September of 1863.     When the Union victories had been few in 1862, he successfully led a aggroup at Middle Creek, Kentucky, against Confederate troops. And in1862, at the age of 31, he became brigader general, only to be made a majorgeneral in 1863.     Meanwhile, in 1862, he was elected by fellow Ohioans to The UnitedStates House of Representatives. He was persuaded by President Lincoln toresign his army job and remain in Congress. Said Lincoln, "It is easier to findmajor generals than to obtain effective Republicans for Congress." Garfieldheld his House seat for 18 years by winning repeated elections and becamethe leading Republican in the House. As Chairman of the House committeeon Appropriations, he became an expert on fiscal matters. He also advocateda high protective tarriff, and desire a firm policy of Reconstruction for theSouth. In 1880, he was elected to the United States Senate.     At the Republican Convention in 1880, he failed to win the presidentialnomination for his friend, John Sherman, but became the "dark horse"nominee on the 36th ballot.     In November 1880, he became the 20th President, winning with a