author
Chester Alan Arthur
1829–1886
A surprising reformer in the White House, he rose to the presidency after James A. Garfield's assassination and helped push the federal government away from the old spoils system. His life moved from small-town beginnings and a legal career in New York to the center of national politics.
1 Audiobook
State of the Union Addresses
by Chester Alan Arthur
About the author
Born in Fairfield, Vermont, in 1829, Chester Alan Arthur was the son of a Baptist minister and spent much of his youth in Vermont and upstate New York. He studied at Union College, became a lawyer, and built his career in New York City, where he also became active in Republican politics.
Before reaching the presidency, Arthur served as collector of the Port of New York, one of the most powerful federal posts of the era. He was elected vice president in 1880, then became the 21st president of the United States in 1881 after President James A. Garfield was assassinated.
Many expected him to be a loyal machine politician, but as president he backed civil service reform and signed the Pendleton Civil Service Act, an important step toward hiring government workers by merit rather than patronage. He left office in 1885 and died the next year, in 1886, remembered as a more capable and independent president than many had predicted.