During the Gilded Age, most of America was concerned with its own prosperity and maintaining the social order that had been established after the Civil War. So, it's no surprise that during that time we were satisfied with electing some pretty bland personas in the White House. In fact, many historians have given the nickname of "Forgotten Presidents" to the likes of Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Harrison. So here's what you need to know about them:
James A. Garfield
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| 20th President of the United States. |
Republician
Garfield won the office of U.S. President with only slightly more popular votes than his competitor, Winfield Scott Hancock. Probably one of the most known facts about his Presidency is that he was one of eight Presidents to die while in office. Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau six months after his inauguration. A lasting impact of his very brief time as Commander in Chief is the post-humous passing of the Pendleton Service Act, which reformed the civil service hiring process.
