Vice President under James A. Garfield March 4, 1881 until September 20, 1881
Chester Alan Arthur was born on October 5, 1829 in Fairfield, Vermont. His
father, William Arthur, was an Irish-born Baptist minister and schoolteacher,
and his mother, Malvina Stone Arthur, was born in New Hampshire. The Arthur’s
had five daughters and two sons, of whom Chester was the eldest son.
William Arthur was an eloquent preacher and moved constantly from one town to
another. The family lived in several towns in Vermont and northern New York
before they moved to Saratoga County, New York, in 1839. Chester attended an
academy at Union Village (now Greenwich), New York. In 1844, the Arthur’s
moved to Schenectady and Chester was admitted to Union College. Chester’s
father had taught him Latin and Greek and even though he was only 15, he was
admitted to the college as a sophomore. Chester began to teach during the long
winter vacations, because his father could not help him financially. After
graduating near the top of his class at 18, he continued to teach at North
Pownal, Vermont and in 1852 he became the principal of the academy at Cohoes,
New York while studying law at home. He joined the law office of Culver and
Parker in New York City to continue his training and was admitted to the bar in
1854. He gained a reputation as a supporter of civil rights for blacks, and in
1855 won a case guaranteeing the rights of blacks to ride streetcars in New York
City.
In 1856, he formed his own law firm in the Wall Street district. To build up
his practice, he joined clubs to make acquaintances. He became an active member
in the ranks of the newborn Republican Party and soon had friends in prominent
literary and political circles. He could speak well on literature, politics or
fishing which happened to be his only sport. The young Arthur was a striking
figure, tall, with black eyes and brown hair. He went to the best tailors, wore
the latest fashions and was considered well informed and amusing. He fell in
love with Ellen Lewis Herndon, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, who was living in
New York City with her mother. Her father, Captain William Lewis Herndon, was an
explorer of the Amazon who had died a heroic death in the Caribbean after saving
many lives. Ellen and her mother belonged to a prominent social group. The
couple was married on October 25, 1859 and they had three children: William
Lewis Herndon Arthur (1860-1863); Chester Alan Arthur (1864-1937); and Ellen
Herndon Arthur (1871-1915).
In 1860 Arthur campaigned in New York City for presidential candidate Abraham
Lincoln. He also worked for the reelection of Edwin D. Morgan as Governor of New
York, and when Morgan won, he appointed Arthur engineer in chief of his military
staff, which was an honorary post. At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861,
Morgan asked Arthur to take over the duties of quartermaster general in New York
City. The post involved supplying barracks, food, uniforms, and equipment to
thousands of troops who passed through the city. He supervised the equipping of
more than 220,000 volunteers before 1863, when he resigned after a Democrat was
elected governor.
After his return to private life, Arthur resumed his law practice and
remained active in the Republican Party of New York, making himself
indispensable to the political machine run by U. S. Senator Roscoe Conkling. The
political machine organized voters for the support of a candidate and dedicated
loyal workers were rewarded with government jobs in return for their services to
the “machine”. In 1871, Conkling persuaded President Ulysses S. Grant to
appoint Arthur as collector of customs for the Port of New York. This was a
great political appointment for Arthur, and he became the undisputed political
leader of New York City. In 1877, President Hayes who had pledged civil service
reform ordered an investigation of the customhouse. Arthur and two aids were
asked to resign and they refused. However, in the summer of 1878, Hayes fired
Arthur, giving the customs job to someone else that the Senate had later
approved. Arthur once again returned to New York City and to his law practice.
In 1880, the Republican Party was split into two factions, the Stalwarts,
strong believers in party loyalty above all else, and the Half-Breeds, who
believed in minor political reforms. At the Republican National Convention, both
factions were so evenly matched that a candidate could not gain the necessary
majority for nomination. The deadlock in the convention lasted until the 36th
ballot, when James A. Garfield was unexpectedly nominated. To make sure of the
Stalwarts aid in the election, the convention nominated Arthur for vice
president. Garfield won the election and Arthur took the Senate chair, but he
did not lose his interest in New York politics.
After the election, the split in the Republican Party widened. Garfield made
appointments, ignoring Conkling’s political machine. Conkling and New York’s
other Senator, Thomas C. Platt, resigned from the Senate in protest to
Garfield’s appointments. Arthur supported the New York Senators and
accompanied them to Albany to convince the state legislature to give them a vote
of confidence by reappointing them to the Senate. Despite their pleas, the
legislature did not reappoint the two men. Conkling and Plat never again held
public office.
In the middle of this political conflict, Charles J. Guiteau, a crazed office
seeker, shot President Garfield on July 2, 1881. Garfield died eleven weeks
later, on September 19, 1881. During the weeks were Garfield lingered between
life and death, Arthur remained in seclusion as popular indignation against the
Stalwarts ran high.
On September 20, 1881, the morning following Garfield’s death, Arthur took
the oath of office at his home in New York City. His record of party loyalty
greatly handicapped him when he became president. Many Americans regarded him as
little more than Conkling’s puppet. His simple and sincere inaugural address
helped to reassure the people. He came out strong in support of civil service
reform in his first address to congress. In 1883 he signed the country’s first
civil service law, the Pendleton Act, setting up the civil service commission to
conduct examinations for office holders. His qualifications for the presidency
were excellent. He was an experienced administrator and he had tact and common
sense. As a lawyer, he was well versed in constitutional law.
Perhaps because of the influence of his heroic father-in-law, Arthur has been
called the Father of the American Navy. He took a personal interest in
modernizing and expanding it. The Navy had declined steadily after the Civil War
and in 1882, Congress appropriated money for the nation’s first all-steel
vessels. This was a modest first step in making the United States a major force
in naval power.
Although he was secretly suffering from Bright’s disease, an incurable
kidney ailment, Arthur hoped to be nominated for a second term as president.
Unfortunately, that did not happen and the convention of 1884 nominated Blain.
In the general election, Blaine lost to Grover Cleveland, the Democratic
candidate. After turning over the White House to Cleveland on March 4, 1885,
Arthur again resumed his law practice in New York City. Shortly afterward he
became ill and died in 1886.
Franklin
D. Roosevelt Library and Museum - Repository of the records of President
Franklin Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt, managed by the National
Archives and Records Administration.
Dwight
D. Eisenhower Presidential Library - preserves and makes available for
research the papers, audiovisual materials, and memorabilia of Dwight and Mamie
D. Eisenhower
Message of President Chester
A. Arthur nominating Ulysses S. Grant to be General on the retired list
of the Army
ARTHUR, Chester Alan,a
Vice President and 21st President of the United States; born in Fairfield,
Franklin County, Vt., October 5, 1829; attended the public schools and was
graduated from Union College, Schenectady, N.Y., in 1848; became principal of an
academy in North Pownal, Vt., in 1851; studied law; was admitted to the bar in
1854 and commenced practice in New York City; took an active part in the
reorganization of the State militia; during the Civil War, served as acting
quartermaster general of the State in 1861; commissioned inspector general,
appointed quartermaster general with the rank of brigadier general, and served
until 1862; resumed the practice of law in New York City; appointed by President
Ulysses Grant as collector of the port of New York 1871-1878; resumed the
practice of law in New York City; elected Vice President of the United States on
the Republican ticket with President James A. Garfield for the term beginning
March 4, 1881; upon the death of President Garfield, became President of the
United States on September 20, 1881, and served until March 3, 1885; returned to
New York City where he died November 18, 1886; interment in the Rural Cemetery
Albany, N.Y.- -Biographical
Data courtesy of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Unauthorized Site:
This site and its contents are not affiliated, connected,
associated with or authorized by the individual, family,
friends, or trademarked entities utilizing any part or
the subject's entire name. Any official or affiliated
sites that are related to this subject will be hyper
linked below upon submission
and Evisum, Inc. review.
