Person

James A. Garfield

20th president of the United States whose term was cut short by assassination shortly after taking office.

Status: draft
Entity Type: person
Start Date: 19 Nov 1831
End Date: 19 Sep 1881

Summary

James A. Garfield was the 20th president of the United States.

Historical role

He matters here because his brief presidency highlighted the tensions of the Gilded Age political system and was interrupted before he could fully implement his program.

Connections

Useful for linking party politics, reform debates, and the instability of late-19th-century presidential succession.