James Garfield

James Abram Garfield was the 20th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881, until his assassination later that year.

Early Life and Career
Birth: Born on November 19, 1831, in a log cabin in Orange Township, Ohio.
Education: Graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts in 1856.
Civil War: Served as a major general in the Union Army during the Civil War.
Congressional Career: Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1862, serving until 1880. He was a strong advocate for Reconstruction and civil rights for freed slaves.

Presidency
Election: Garfield was elected president in 1880 as a compromise candidate for the Republican Party, narrowly defeating Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock.
Civil Service Reform: He began his presidency with a focus on civil service reform, aiming to end the patronage system.

Assassination
Assassination: On July 2, 1881, Charles J. Guiteau, a disgruntled office seeker, shot Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C.
Death: Garfield suffered for 11 weeks before succumbing to infections on September 19, 1881.

Legacy
Civil Service Reform: Garfield’s assassination intensified the push for civil service reform, leading to the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883.
Short Tenure: His presidency is the second shortest in U.S. history, but his death brought significant changes to how civil service positions were awarded.

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