Chester A. Arthur
A machine politician turned reformer, he shocked his party by championing the civil service law that dismantled the patronage system.
1829–1886 (age 57)·President of the United States from 1881 to 1885·Birthday: October 5
Biography
Chester A. Arthur was a product of New York's political machine, a loyalist who rose to power through patronage. His selection as Vice President on the 1880 Republican ticket was a concession to the powerful Stalwart faction. The assassination of President James Garfield, however, transformed the man. As president, Arthur defied all expectations. Grieving his friend and sobered by the office, he turned against the very spoils system that built his career. He signed the landmark Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, establishing a merit-based system for federal employment. His administration also modernized the U.S. Navy, commissioning the nation's first steel warships. Though his single term was not without controversy, including the signing of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Arthur left the presidency a different man than he entered it, having traded party loyalty for a lasting, if unexpected, legacy of reform.
#1 When Chester Was Born
The biggest hits of 1829
Chester's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1829Born
1834Started school
1842Became a teenager
1845Could drive
1847Could vote
1850Turned 21
1859Turned 30
1869Turned 40
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1879Turned 50
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1886Died at 57
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
Key Achievements
- Signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, which began the transformation of the federal government from a patronage-based to a merit-based system.
- Oversaw the modernization and expansion of the U.S. Navy, authorizing the construction of the first steel-hulled warships, known as the 'ABCD' ships.
- Became the 21st President of the United States in 1881 after the assassination of James A. Garfield, despite having no prior elected executive experience.
- Vetoed the first version of the Rivers and Harbors Act in 1882, deeming its extravagant spending wasteful, though Congress overrode his veto.
Did You Know?
He was famously fastidious about his appearance, owning over 80 pairs of trousers and changing his clothes several times a day.
Arthur had the original White House furniture, deemed shabby by him, carted away and sold at public auction before commissioning Louis Comfort Tiffany for a redesign.
He was so secretive about his fatal kidney disease, now believed to be Bright's disease, that he had most of his personal and official papers burned before his death.
Before entering politics, Arthur was a successful lawyer who won a landmark case affirming the rights of African Americans to ride streetcars in New York City.
“Men may die, but the fabrics of free institutions remains unshaken.”
