By 1886 Arthur's health had further deteriorated, and he died of a stroke on the 18 November 1886 at the age of fifty-seven.. Legacy . All rights reserved. [200] Arthur nominated Horace Gray, a distinguished jurist from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to replace him, and the nomination was easily confirmed. Born in Fairfield, Vermont, on October 5, 1829, Arthur was an educator, lawyer, and army officer before being appointed as customs collector of the Port of New York (1871-78). [195], As the 1884 presidential election approached, James G. Blaine was considered the favorite for the Republican nomination, but Arthur, too, contemplated a run for a full term as president. [148], Garfield's assassination by a deranged office seeker amplified the public demand for civil service reform. [193] Later that year, on the advice of Missouri Senator George Graham Vest, he visited Yellowstone National Park. [218] The statue was dedicated in 1899 and unveiled by Arthur's sister, Mary Arthur McElroy. [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]. [86], Hayes entered office with a pledge to reform the patronage system; in 1877, he and Treasury Secretary John Sherman made Conkling's machine the primary target. The commission's recommendations were ignored, however, as the House Ways and Means Committee, dominated by protectionists, provided a 10% reduction. All Rights Reserved. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. During the process, more than 20 wagonloads of furnishings from previous presidential administrations were cleared out and auctioned off. [149] Republicans lost seats in the 1882 congressional elections, in which Democrats campaigned on the reform issue. [133] Through the summer, Arthur refused to travel to Washington and was at his Lexington Avenue home when, on the night of September 19, he learned that Garfield had died. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. For his son, see. This man was Chester A. Arthur. [175], Chandler appointed an advisory board to prepare a report on modernization, whose goal was to create a Navy that would protect America thousands of miles away, rather than just coastal waters. [117] Realizing this, they adjusted their approach to claim that Democrats would lower the country's protective tariff, which would allow cheaper manufactured goods to be imported from Europe, and thereby put thousands out of work. Getty Images / Library of Congress / Contributor. This law created a 10-year ban on all Chinese immigration to the United States and prohibited Chinese immigrants already in the country from becoming U.S. citizens. "[76], The Senate confirmed Arthur's appointment; as Collector he controlled nearly a thousand jobs and received compensation as great as any federal officeholder. Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 - November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. In 1848, after graduating from Union College, he taught at Schaghticoke in Rensselaer County. Before he moved into the White House, Chester Arthur hired designer and stained-glass artist Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) to redecorate the state rooms. As a young boy, he attended schools in Perry and Greenwich, New York, before enrolling at the Union College in 1845. (He suffered from Bright's disease, a then-fatal kidney ailment.) He graduated from Union College in 1848, taught school, was admitted to the bar and practiced law in New York City. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 - November 18, 1886) was the fourth Totally Obscure President of the United States, serving from 1881 through 1885. OTSCSupplies. [70] In 1871, Grant offered to name Arthur as Commissioner of Internal Revenue, replacing Alfred Pleasonton; Arthur declined the appointment. One presidential oath was administered by a state court judge, also in New York City by a New York State judge: Arthur first offered the post to Edwin D. Morgan, who had been his patron in New York; Morgan was confirmed by the Senate, but declined on the grounds of age. During Chester Arthurs childhood, his family moved around Vermont and upstate New York for his fathers work. In the White House, Arthur became known for his sartorial style and taste for fine furnishings. A chronology of key events in the life of Chester Alan Arthur (1829-1886), twenty-first president of the Unites States. [158] On August 1, 1882, Arthur vetoed the bill to widespread popular acclaim;[158] in his veto message, his principal objection was that it appropriated funds for purposes "not for the common defense or general welfare, and which do not promote commerce among the States. The Presidency of Chester Arthur spanned the period in United States history that encompasses the events of the Maturation Era or the Gilded Age. [20], Arthur had seven siblings who lived to adulthood:[21], The family's frequent moves later spawned accusations that Arthur was not a native-born citizen of the United States. Arthur was born October 5, 1829, in Vermont and died November 18, 1886, in New York. [150] As a result, the lame-duck session of Congress was more amenable to civil service reform; the Senate approved Pendleton's bill 385 and the House soon concurred by a vote of 15547. [125] As vice president, Arthur cast tie-breaking votes in favor of the Republicans when Mahone opted to join their caucus. In addition to civil service reform, Arthur triedwith limited successto lower tariffs. Summary of President Chester Arthur for Kids: "Walrus" Summary: Chester Arthur (1829-1886), nicknamed the "Walrus" or "The Dude President", was the 21st American President and served in office from 1881-1885. In 1855, he successfully represented Elizabeth Jennings Graham (1830-1901), a black woman who had been denied a seat on a Manhattan streetcar due to her race. [39] Coincidentally, future president James A. Garfield taught penmanship at the same school three years later, but the two did not cross paths during their teaching careers. [128] Once there, he traveled with Conkling to Albany, where the former senator hoped for a quick re-election to the Senate, and with it, a defeat for the Garfield administration. There, his health continued to deteriorate, and on November 18, 1886, he died at age 57 at his home. [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. "[154], With high revenue held over from wartime taxes, the federal government had collected more than it spent since 1866; by 1882 the surplus reached $145 million. A skilled fisherman Congress passes the so-called Mongrel Tariff Act, a complex tariff revision that reduces rates on various items by less than 2 percent; Arthur had lobbied Congress for a 20 to 25 percent cut on all items. [90], Hayes further struck at the heart of the spoils system by issuing an executive order that forbade assessments, and barred federal office holders from "tak[ing] part in the management of political organizations, caucuses, conventions, or election campaigns. [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. Critics have long contended that Twain's Puddin' Head Wilson is based on Arthur's reforming of the Civil Service. Chester, or Chet, as he was known, attended Union College in Schenectady, New York. Murphy was also a hatter who sold goods to the Union Army, and Arthur represented him in Washington. [142] Blaine, nemesis of the Stalwart faction, remained Secretary of State until Congress reconvened and then departed immediately. Still, the crowd of people who showed up for the event were unaware, and the President received a spectacular welcome. [140] Arthur then selected Charles J. Folger, his friend and fellow New York Stalwart as Windom's replacement. Department 56 - A Christmas Story - Ralphie's House Department 56 $94. Oct 5, 1829 - Nov 18, 1886 Chester Alan Arthur was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. [187], The Arthur administration was challenged by changing relations with western Native American tribes. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! [124], The Senate in the 47th United States Congress was divided among 37 Republicans, 37 Democrats, one independent (David Davis) who caucused with the Democrats, one Readjuster (William Mahone), and four vacancies. [46] Later that year, he started a new law partnership with a friend, Henry D. Gardiner, and traveled with him to Kansas to consider purchasing land and setting up a law practice there. A skilled fisherman 8. [144] Of the Cabinet members Arthur had inherited from Garfield, only Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln remained for the entirety of Arthur's term. James Garfield dies from blood poisoning and complications after surgeons search endlessly to find the lost bullet in his back, lodged in his pancreas. Chester A. Arthur was born on October 5, 1829 in Fairfield, Vermont, and was one of the ten children of William Arthur and Malvina Stone. [37], After graduating in 1848, Arthur returned to Schaghticoke and became a full-time teacher, and soon began to pursue an education in law. David L. Anderson, "The Diplomacy of Discrimination: Chinese Exclusion, 18761882", New York State Republican Executive Committee, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, List of presidents of the United States by previous experience, Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, "Rating the Presidents: Washington to Clinton", "Top 10 Forgettable Presidents: Fail to the Chief; Chester A. Arthur", "Then Again: A Vermont politician faces the 'birthers'. Facts about Chester an Arthur 1: the life span Chester A Arthur was born on 5th October 1829 in Fairfield, Vermont and died on 18 November 1886. Chester Arthur was born in North Fairfield, Vermont. [20] He was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity,[38] and as a senior he was president of the debate society and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. [55], Arthur returned to practicing law, and with the help of additional contacts made in the military, he and the firm of Arthur & Gardiner flourished. His father, William Arthur, had immigrated to America from northern Ireland when he was 18 and had become a Baptist minister. They existed from the 1870s until Arthur became president in 1881, at which point Conkling was no longer a force, and Arthur had reformed the Civil Service. Arthur vetoes the Carriage of Passengers at Sea Bill, a steamboat safety bill, claiming that it contains several major technical errors. At the outset, Arthur struggled to overcome a slightly negative reputation, which stemmed from his early career in politics as part of New York's Republican political machine. [181] Since the end of Reconstruction, conservative white Democrats (or "Bourbon Democrats") had regained power in the South, and the Republican party dwindled rapidly as their primary supporters in the region, blacks, were disenfranchised. Major Events of Presidency: Chinese Exclusion Act passed. After Rutherford Hayes became president, he ousted Arthur from the job in 1878 in an attempt to reform the New York Custom House and spoils system. Arthur was born in Fairfield, Vermont, grew up in upstate New York and practiced law in New York City. [200] Blatchford accepted, and his nomination was approved by the Senate within two weeks. He attended Union College in Schenectady, New York, graduating in 1848. The bridge was an engineering marvel, utilizing numerous construction techniques that had never before been attempted on such a massive scale. The Chinese immigration ban would eventually be extended up through the 1920s. The verdict in the Star-Route trial is rendered. [165], The 47th Congress spent a great deal of time on immigration, and at times was in accord with Arthur. [108] Their opponents in the Republican party, known as Half-Breeds, concentrated their efforts on James G. Blaine, a senator from Maine who was more amenable to civil service reform. 10. [1] During the Civil read more, Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), who served as the 22nd and 24th U.S. president, was known as a political reformer. [56] Even as his professional life improved, however, Arthur and his wife experienced a personal tragedy as their only child, William, died suddenly that year at the age of two. A revised version of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which reduces the period of non-immigration to ten years but maintains the ban on Chinese citizenship, becomes law. Chester A. Arthur - Key Events March 4, 1881 Arthur Becomes Vice President Arthur takes office as vice president in the presidential administration of James Garfield. 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. https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/chester-a-arthur. [111] They next approached Arthur, and Conkling advised him to also reject the nomination, believing the Republicans would lose. 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. [137][m] He initially took up residence at the home of Senator John P. Jones, while a White House remodeling he had ordered was carried out, including addition of an elaborate fifty-foot glass screen by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Owing to the shock of Garfield's assassination and eventual death, Americans all over had started to grow fed up of Roscoe Conkling's machine. Some older sources list the date as October 5, 1830. James Garfield added Arthur to the 1880 presidential ticket because he thought it would help him win the state of New York, whose Republican party machine was instrumental to any political victory. [110] Levi P. Morton, the first choice of Garfield's supporters, consulted with Conkling, who advised him to decline, which he did. Arthur was the second vice president to become chief executive due to an assassination. He succeeded James Garfield who had been assassinated in 1881. However, after President Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau, he passed away on September 19 in the year of 1881. [64] Conkling, elected to the United States Senate in 1867, noticed Arthur and facilitated his rise in the party, and Arthur became chairman of the New York City Republican executive committee in 1868. [164] Similar efforts at reciprocal trade treaties with Santo Domingo and Spain's American colonies were defeated by February 1885, and an existing reciprocity treaty with the Kingdom of Hawaii was allowed to lapse. [214] On April 5, 1882, Arthur was elected to the District of Columbia Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) as a Third Class Companion (insignia number 02430[215]), the honorary membership category for militia officers and civilians who made significant contributions to the war effort. His father was a preacher. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Arthur urged Congress to increase funding for Native American education, which it did in 1884, although not to the extent he wished. Congress passes the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. 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. Sometime around 1882, Arthur learned he was suffering from Brights disease, a serious kidney ailment. He is the only president to date who served two non-consecutive terms, and also the only Democratic president to win election during the period of Republican read more, Departing from the monarchical tradition of Britain, the founding fathers of the United States created a system in which the American people had the power and responsibility to select their leader. Chester Alan Arthur: 5th President of the United States. These restraints distinguished him sharply from the stereotype politician. He asked the cabinet members to remain until December, when Congress would reconvene, but Treasury Secretary William Windom submitted his resignation in October to enter a Senate race in his home state of Minnesota. On his grave marker, his birth year is incorrectly given as 1830. [66], Conkling succeeded to leadership of the conservative wing of New York's Republicans by 1868 as Morgan concentrated more time and effort on national politics, including serving as chairman of the Republican National Committee. Being obscure, he is not counted among the Presidents whom . The act establishes the Republicans as the party in favor of higher protective tariffs. [97][i] Hayes again offered Arthur the position of consul general in Paris as a face-saving consolation; Arthur again declined, as Hayes knew he probably would. [53] Arthur received plaudits for his work, but his post was a political appointment, and he was relieved of his militia duties in January 1863 when Governor Horatio Seymour, a Democrat, took office. He was a member of the ultra exclusive Restigouche Salmon Club. [44] In another civil rights case in 1854, Arthur was the lead attorney representing Elizabeth Jennings Graham after she was denied a seat on a streetcar because she was black. [188] The American Indian Wars were winding down, and public sentiment was shifting toward more favorable treatment of Native Americans. [135], Arthur arrived in Washington, D.C. on September 21. 9. [183] Arthur's coalition policy was only successful in Virginia, however, and by 1885 the Readjuster movement began to collapse with the election of a Democratic president. Chester Alan Arthur was an American attorney and politician who served as the 21st President of the United States (1881-85); he succeeded James A. Garfield upon the latter's assassination. Let's look at each of these in a bit more detail. [176] Based on the suggestions in the report, Congress appropriated funds, signed into law by Arthur, for the construction of three steel protected cruisers (Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago) and an armed dispatch-steamer (Dolphin), collectively known as the ABCD Ships or the Squadron of Evolution. 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