Presidency of Chester A. Arthur
James A. Garfield (1st) → | |
|
| ||
---|---|---|
20th Vice President of the United States
21st President of the United States
Presidential and Vice presidential campaigns
Post-presidency
|
||
Chester A. Arthur's tenure as the 21st president of the United States began on September 19, 1881, when he succeeded to the presidency upon the assassination of President James A. Garfield, and ended on March 4, 1885. Arthur, a Republican, had been vice president for 199 days when he succeeded to the presidency. In ill health and lacking the full support of his party by the end of his term, Arthur made only a token effort for the Republican presidential nomination in the 1884 presidential election. He was succeeded by Democrat Grover Cleveland.
Supporters of a third term for
The 1884 Republican National Convention passed over Arthur in favor of James G. Blaine, but Cleveland defeated Blaine in the 1884 presidential election. Although Arthur's failing health and political temperament combined to make his administration less active than a modern presidency, he earned praise among contemporaries for his solid performance in office. Journalist Alexander McClure later wrote, "No man ever entered the presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted as Chester Alan Arthur, and no one ever retired ... more generally respected, alike by political friend and foe."[1] Since his death, Arthur's reputation has mostly faded from the public consciousness. Although some have praised his flexibility and willingness to embrace reform, present-day historians and scholars generally rank him as a below-average president. Arthur, historically, has been given credit for initiating the resurgence of the U.S. Navy with all steel ships.
Background
Chester A. Arthur was born in 1829 and raised a Baptist in
Election of 1880
After President
Accession to office
On July 2, 1881, Arthur learned that Garfield had been badly wounded in a shooting.
On September 22, Arthur re-took the oath of office, this time before Chief Justice
There was controversy over Arthur's birthplace and whether he had a right to be on the Republican presidential ticket. New York attorney, Arthur P. Hinman, accused Arthur of being born a British subject. Hinman claimed Arthur was born in
Administration
The Arthur cabinet | ||
---|---|---|
Office | Name | Term |
President | Chester A. Arthur | 1881–1885 |
Vice President | none | 1881–1885 |
Secretary of State | James G. Blaine | 1881 |
Frederick T. Frelinghuysen | 1881–1885 | |
Secretary of the Treasury | William Windom | 1881 |
Charles J. Folger | 1881–1884 | |
Walter Q. Gresham | 1884 | |
Hugh McCulloch | 1884–1885 | |
Secretary of War | Robert Todd Lincoln | 1881–1885 |
Attorney General | Wayne MacVeagh | 1881 |
Benjamin H. Brewster | 1881–1885 | |
Postmaster General | Thomas Lemuel James | 1881 |
Timothy O. Howe | 1881–1883 | |
Walter Q. Gresham | 1883–1884 | |
Frank Hatton | 1884–1885 | |
Secretary of the Navy | William H. Hunt | 1881–1882 |
William E. Chandler | 1882–1885 | |
Secretary of the Interior | Samuel J. Kirkwood | 1881–1882 |
Henry M. Teller | 1882–1885 |
Arthur quickly came into conflict with Garfield's cabinet, most of whom represented opposing factions within the party. At the same time, he distanced himself from Conkling, and he sought to appoint officials who were well-regarded by both reformers and party loyalists.[22] Arthur asked Garfield's cabinet members to remain until December 1881, when Congress would reconvene, but Treasury Secretary William Windom submitted his resignation in October to enter a Senate race in his home state of Minnesota.[23] Arthur then selected Charles J. Folger, his friend and a fellow New York Stalwart, as Windom's replacement.[23][b] Attorney General Wayne MacVeagh was next to resign, believing that, as a reformer, he had no place in an Arthur cabinet.[25] Arthur replaced MacVeagh with Benjamin H. Brewster, a Philadelphia lawyer and machine politician reputed to have reformist leanings.[25] Secretary of State Blaine, one of the key leaders of the Half-Breed faction of the Republican Party, also resigned in December.[26]
Conkling expected Arthur to appoint him in Blaine's place, as he had been Arthur's patron for much of the latter's career. But the president chose
Judicial appointments
Arthur made appointments to fill two vacancies on the
In addition to his two Supreme Court appointments, Arthur also appointed four circuit court judges and fourteen district court judges.
Civil service reform
Pendleton Act
In the early 1880s, American politics operated on the
Then, in the
Even after Arthur signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act into law, proponents of the act doubted Arthur's commitment to reform. The act initially applied only to ten percent of federal jobs and, without proper implementation by the president, would not have affected the remaining civil service positions.[38] To the surprise of his critics, Arthur acted quickly to appoint the members of the newly created Civil Service Commission, naming reformers Dorman Bridgman Eaton, John Milton Gregory, and Leroy D. Thoman as commissioners.[38] The chief examiner, Silas W. Burt, was a long-time reformer who had been Arthur's opponent when the two men worked at the New York Customs House.[39] The commission issued its first rules in May 1883; by 1884, half of all postal officials and three-quarters of the Customs Service jobs were to be awarded by merit.[39] Arthur expressed satisfaction with the new system, praising its effectiveness "in securing competent and faithful public servants and in protecting the appointing officers of the Government from the pressure of personal importunity and from the labor of examining the claims and pretensions of rival candidates for public employment."[40] Although state patronage systems and numerous federal positions were unaffected by the law, Karabell argues that the Pendleton Act was instrumental in the creation of a professional civil service and the rise of the modern bureaucratic state.[41] The law also caused major changes in campaign finance, as the parties were forced to look for new sources of campaign funds, such as wealthy donors.[42]
Star Route scandal
In the late and early 1870s, the public had learned of the
Surplus and the tariff
With high revenue held over from wartime taxes, the federal government had collected more than it spent since 1866; by 1882 the surplus reached $145 million.
Arthur agreed with his party, and in 1882 called for the abolition of excise taxes on everything except liquor, as well as a simplification of the complex tariff structure.[49] In May 1882, Representative William D. Kelley of Pennsylvania introduced a bill to establish a tariff commission.[49] Arthur signed the bill into law and appointed mostly protectionists to the committee. Republicans were pleased with the committee's make-up but were surprised when, in December 1882, the committee submitted a report to Congress calling for tariff cuts averaging between 20 percent and 25 percent. The commission's recommendations were ignored, however, as the House Ways and Means Committee, dominated by protectionists, passed a bill providing for a 10 percent reduction in tariff rates.[49] After a conference with the Senate, the bill that emerged only reduced tariffs by an average of 1.47 percent. The bill passed both houses narrowly on March 3, 1883, the last full day of the 47th Congress. Arthur signed the measure into law, and it had no effect on the budget surplus.[50]
Congress attempted to balance the budget from the other side of the ledger, with increased spending on the 1882
Foreign affairs and immigration
During his brief tenure in the Garfield and Arthur administrations, Secretary of State James G. Blaine attempted to invigorate United States diplomacy in
The 47th Congress spent a great deal of time on immigration.
In the years following the Civil War, American naval power declined precipitously, shrinking from nearly 700 vessels to just 52, most of which were obsolete.[66] The nation's military focus over the fifteen years before Garfield and Arthur's election had been on the Indian wars in the West, rather than the high seas, but as the region was increasingly pacified, many in Congress grew concerned at the poor state of the Navy.[67] In his 1881 annual address to the nation, Arthur advocated a stronger navy.[68] Garfield's Secretary of the Navy, William H. Hunt, had advocated reform of the Navy and his successor, William E. Chandler, appointed an advisory board to prepare a report on modernization.[69] Based on the suggestions in the report, Congress appropriated funds, signed into law by Arthur, for the construction of three steel protected cruisers (Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago) and an armed steel dispatch-steamer (Dolphin), collectively known as the ABCD Ships or the Squadron of Evolution.[70][68] Arthur gave full support to Chandler's strong administration of the U.S. Navy. [68] Chandler purged the Navy's officer corps of those who supported antiquated wood-and-canvas ships and created the Naval War College. Additionally, Chandler, authorized by the law, scrapped old vessels whose repair costs exceeded their worth. [68]
Congress also approved funds to rebuild four monitors (Puritan, Amphitrite, Monadnock, and Terror), which had lain uncompleted since 1877.[70] Arthur strongly supported these efforts, believing that a strengthened navy would not only increase the country's security but also enhance U.S. prestige.[71] The contracts to build the ABCD ships were all awarded to the low bidder, John Roach & Sons of Chester, Pennsylvania,[72] even though Roach once employed Secretary Chandler as a lobbyist.[72] Democrats turned against the "New Navy" projects and, when they won control of the 48th Congress, refused to appropriate funds for seven more steel warships.[72] Even without the additional ships, the state of the Navy improved when, after several construction delays, the last of the new ships entered service in 1889.[73]
Greely polar expedition rescue (1884)
By 1883, the ill-fated crew of the U.S. Army 1881
On September 1, 1883, with no relief in sight, Greely and his party left the safety of Fort Conger on small boats, over rough ice-capped waters, and made a permanent base, Camp Clay, at Cape Sabine, on
Chandler vigorously demanded that all of his subordinates in the Naval Department be committed to the relief of the Greely expedition and he drew support from Navy officers. On July 17, 1884, after rescuing the Greely party, Schey arrived at
Mentioned Greely expedition rescue
In his Fourth Annual Address to Congress, Arthur devoted two paragraphs to the rescue of the Greely expedition.[76]
"In pursuance of the joint resolution of Congress approved February 13, 1884, a naval expedition was fitted out for the relief of Lieutenant A. W. Greely, United States Army, and of the party who had been engaged under his command in scientific observations at Lady Franklin Bay. The fleet consisted of the steam sealer Thetis, purchased in England; the Bear, purchased at St. John's, Newfoundland, and the Alert, which was generously provided by the British Government. Preparations for the expedition were promptly made by the Secretary of the Navy, with the active cooperation of the Secretary of War. Commander George W. Coffin was placed in command of the Alert and Lieutenant William H. Emory in command of the Bear. The Thetis was intrusted to Commander Winfield S. Schley, to whom also was assigned the superintendence of the entire expedition."[76]
"Immediately upon its arrival at Upernavik the fleet began the dangerous navigation of Melville Bay, and in spite of every obstacle reached Littleton Island on June 22, a fortnight earlier than any vessel had before attained that point. On the same day it crossed over to Cape Sabine, where Lieutenant Greely and the other survivors of his party were discovered. After taking on board the living and the bodies of the dead, the relief ships sailed for St. John's, where they arrived on July 17. They were appropriately received at Portsmouth, N. H., on August 1 and at New York on August 8. One of the bodies was landed at the former place. The others were put on shore at Governors Island, and, with the exception of one, which was interred in the national cemetery, were forwarded thence to the destinations indicated by friends. The organization and conduct of this relief expedition reflects great credit upon all who contributed to its success."[76]
Civil rights and the South
Like his Republican predecessors, Arthur struggled with the question of how his party was to challenge the Democrats in
Other federal action on behalf of blacks was equally ineffective: when the Supreme Court struck down the
The administration faced a different challenge in the West, where the LDS Church was under government pressure to stop the practice of polygamy in Utah Territory.[84] Garfield had believed polygamy was criminal behavior and was morally detrimental to family values, and Arthur's views were, for once, in line with his predecessor's.[84] In 1882, he signed the Edmunds Act into law; the legislation made polygamy a federal crime, barring polygamists both from public office and the right to vote.[84]
Native American policy
The Arthur administration was challenged by changing relations with Western
Health, travel, and 1884 election
Declining health
Shortly after becoming president, Arthur was diagnosed with Bright's disease, a kidney ailment now referred to as nephritis.[89] He attempted to keep his condition private, but by 1883 rumors of his illness began to circulate; he had become thinner and more aged in appearance, and struggled to keep the pace of the presidency.[89] To rejuvenate his health outside the confines of Washington, Arthur and some political friends traveled to Florida in April 1883.[90] The vacation had the opposite effect, and Arthur suffered from intense pain before returning to Washington.[90] Shortly after returning from Florida, Arthur visited his home town of New York City, where he presided over the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge.[91] In July, on the advice of Missouri Senator George Graham Vest, he visited Yellowstone National Park.[92] Reporters accompanied the presidential party, helping to publicize the new National Park system.[92] The Yellowstone trip was more beneficial to Arthur's health than his Florida excursion, and he returned to Washington refreshed after two months of travel.[93]
1884 election
As the election approached, Arthur came to realize that, like Hayes in 1880, he was unlikely to win nomination in 1884.[94] In the months leading up to the 1884 Republican National Convention, James G. Blaine emerged as the favorite for the nomination, though Arthur had not totally given up on his hopes for another term.[95] It quickly became clear to Arthur, however, that neither of the major party factions was prepared to give him their full support: the Half-Breeds were again solidly behind Blaine, while the Stalwarts were undecided. Some Stalwarts backed Arthur, but others supported Senator John A. Logan of Illinois.[95] Reform-minded Republicans, friendlier to Arthur after he endorsed civil service reform, were still not certain enough of his reform credentials to back him over Senator George F. Edmunds of Vermont, who had long favored their cause.[95] Some business leaders supported Arthur, as did Southern Republicans who owed their jobs to his control of the patronage, but by the time they began to rally around him, Arthur had decided against a serious campaign for the nomination.[96] He kept up a token effort, believing that to drop out would cast doubt on his actions in office and raise questions about his health, but by the time the convention began in June, his defeat was assured.[96] Blaine led on the first ballot, and by the fourth ballot he had a majority.[97] Arthur telegraphed his congratulations to Blaine and accepted his defeat with equanimity.[97] Arthur is the most recent individual to accede to the presidency after the death of a predecessor but be denied his party's nomination to a full term.[98][d]
Arthur played no role in the 1884 campaign, which Blaine would later blame for his loss that November to the Democratic nominee, Grover Cleveland.
Historical reputation
Arthur's tepid popularity in life carried over into his assessment by historians, and his reputation after leaving office disappeared.[103] By 1935, historian George F. Howe said that Arthur had achieved "an obscurity in strange contrast to his significant part in American history."[104] By 1975, however, Thomas C. Reeves would write that Arthur's "appointments, if unspectacular, were unusually sound; the corruption and scandal that dominated business and politics of the period did not tarnish his administration."[1] As 2004 biographer Zachary Karabell wrote, although Arthur was "physically stretched and emotionally strained, he strove to do what was right for the country."[103] Indeed, Howe had earlier surmised, "Arthur adopted [a code] for his own political behavior but subject to three restraints: he remained to everyone a man of his word; he kept scrupulously free from corrupt graft; he maintained a personal dignity, affable and genial though he might be. These restraints ... distinguished him sharply from the stereotype politician."[105] In his final assessment of Arthur, Karabell argues that Arthur lacked the vision or force of character to achieve greatness, but that he deserves credit for presiding over a period of peace and prosperity.[106]
Polls of historians and political scientists have generally ranked Arthur as a below-average president. A 2018 poll of the American Political Science Association’s Presidents and Executive Politics section ranked Arthur as the 29th best president.[107] A 2017 C-SPAN survey has Chester Arthur ranked among the bottom third of presidents of all time, right below Martin Van Buren and above Herbert Hoover. The survey asked 91 presidential historians to rank the 43 former presidents (including then-outgoing president Barack Obama) in various categories to come up with a composite score, resulting in an overall ranking. Arthur was ranked 35th among all former presidents (down from 32nd in 2009 and 2000). His rankings in the various categories of this most recent poll were as follows: public persuasion (37), crisis leadership (32), economic management (31), moral authority (35), international relations (35), administrative skills (28), relations with congress (29), vision/setting an agenda (34), pursued equal justice for all (27), performance with context of times (32).[108]
Notes
- Chancellor of New York, administered the first presidential oath to George Washington at Federal Hall in 1789. The presidential oath would later be administered by John Calvin Coolidge Sr., a notary public, at the 1923 swearing in of Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge later re-took the oath before a federal judge.
- ^ Arthur first offered the post to Edwin D. Morgan, who had been his patron in New York; Morgan was confirmed by the Senate, but declined on the grounds of age.[24]
- ^ The portion of the law denying citizenship to Chinese-Americans was later found unconstitutional in United States v. Wong Kim Ark in 1898. Chinese immigration would be banned until the passage of the Magnuson Act in 1942.
- ^ Arthur is also most recent sitting president to serve for one full term or less and be denied his party's nomination.[98] More recent sitting presidents, including Lyndon B. Johnson, have unsuccessfully sought their party's nomination after serving for more than one full term.
References
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, p. 420.
- ^ a b c d Arrington (October 5, 2016)
- ^ Weisberger 2002, p. 274.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 39–40.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 178–181.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 213–216; Karabell, pp. 52–53.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 233–237; Howe, pp. 147–149.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 22pp=147–149.
- ^ Karabell, p. 59; Reeves 1975, p. 237.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 238–241; Doenecke, pp. 53–54.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 61–62.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 244–248; Karabell, pp. 61–63.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 62–63.
- ^ McCabe, James D. (1881). Our Martyred President ... : The Life and Public Services of Gen. James A. Garfield. National Publishing Company. p. 764.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 247–248.
- ^ Doenecke, pp. 53–54; Reeves 1975, p. 248.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 252–253, 268–269.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 75–76.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 72–74.
- ^ a b Howe, p. 3.
- ^ Perry (January 8, 2023)
- ^ Karabell, pp. 68–71.
- ^ a b Howe, p. 160; Reeves 1975, p. 254.
- ^ Reeves 1975, p. 254.
- ^ a b Howe, p. 161; Reeves 1975, pp. 254–255.
- ^ a b Howe, pp. 160–161; Reeves 1975, pp. 255–257.
- ^ a b c d Howe, pp. 162–163; Reeves 1975, pp. 257–258.
- ^ a b c d e f Reeves 1975, pp. 260–261; Howe, p. 195.
- ^ "Supreme Court Nominations, present-1789". U.S. Senate. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- ^ Doenecke, p. 76.
- ^ "Blatchford, Samuel M." Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 106–108.
- ^ a b c Reeves 1975, pp. 320–324; Doenecke, pp. 96–97; Theriault, pp. 52–53, 56.
- ^ Doenecke, pp. 99–100; Theriault, pp. 57–63; Karabell.
- ^ a b Karabell, pp. 106–107.
- ^ a b c Reeves 1975, p. 324; Doenecke, pp. 101–102.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 104–107.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 325–327; Doenecke, pp. 102–104.
- ^ a b Howe, pp. 209–210.
- ^ Arthur, Chester A. (1884). "Fourth State of the Union Address". Wikisource, The Free Library. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 108–111.
- ^ White 2017, pp. 476–468.
- ^ Doenecke, pp. 93–95; Reeves 1975, pp. 297–298.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 299–300; Howe, p. 182.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 301–302; Howe, pp. 185–189.
- ^ a b c Reeves 1975, pp. 303–305; Howe, pp. 189–193.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 328–329; Doenecke, p. 168.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 114–115.
- ^ a b c Reeves 1975, pp. 330–333; Doenecke, pp. 169–171.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 334–335.
- ^ a b c d Reeves 1975, pp. 280–282; Doenecke, p. 81.
- ^ Reeves 1975, p. 281.
- ^ Howe, pp. 196–197; Reeves 1975, pp. 281–282; Karabell, p. 90.
- ^ a b Doenecke, pp. 55–57; Reeves 1975, pp. 284–289.
- ^ David M. Pletcher, The Awkward Years: American Foreign Relations under Garfield and Arthur (U of Missouri Press, 1962).
- ^ Karabell, pp. 119–120.
- ^ Doenecke, pp. 129–132; Reeves 1975, pp. 289–293; Bastert, pp. 653–671.
- ^ a b Doenecke, pp. 173–175; Reeves 1975, pp. 398–399, 409.
- ^ Doenecke, pp. 175–178; Reeves 1975, pp. 398–399, 407–410.
- ^ Feldman, pp. 95–96.
- ^ a b c Howe, pp. 168–169; Doenecke, p. 81.
- ^ Hutchinson, p. 162; Howe, p. 169.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 82–84.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 277–278; Hoogenboom, pp. 387–389.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 278–279; Doenecke, pp. 81–84.
- ^ Reeves 1975, p. 337; Doenecke, p. 145.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 338–341; Doenecke, pp. 145–147.
- ^ a b c d Weisberger 2002, p. 277.
- ^ Doenecke, pp. 147–149.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 342–343; Abbot, pp. 346–347.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 117–118.
- ^ a b c Reeves 1975, pp. 343–345; Doenecke, pp. 149–151.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 349–350; Doenecke, pp. 152–153.
- ^ a b c d e f Jampoler (August 2010)
- ^ a b Todd (June 1960)
- ^ a b c Chester A. Arthur Fourth Annual Message (December 1, 1884)
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 306–308; Doenecke, pp. 105–108.
- ^ a b c d Reeves 1975, pp. 307–309; Ayers, pp. 46–47.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 310–313.
- ^ Ayers, pp. 47–48.
- ^ Doenecke, pp. 112–114.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 126–128.
- passim.
- ^ a b c Doenecke, pp. 84–85.
- ^ Doenecke, pp. 85–89.
- ^ a b Doenecke, pp. 89–92; Reeves 1975, pp. 362–363.
- ^ Doenecke, p. 91; Stuart, pp. 452–454.
- ^ a b c Doenecke, pp. 89–90; Reeves 1975, pp. 362–363.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 317–318; Howe, pp. 243–244.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 355–359; Howe, pp. 244–246.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 122–123.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 364–367; Howe, pp. 247–248.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 124–125; Reeves 1975, pp. 366–367.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 113–114.
- ^ a b c Reeves 1975, pp. 368–371; Howe, pp. 254–257.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 373–375; Doenecke, pp. 181–182.
- ^ a b Reeves 1975, pp. 380–381; Howe, pp. 264–265.
- ^ a b Rudin, Ken (22 July 2009). "When Has A President Been Denied His Party's Nomination?". NPR. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ^ Reeves 1975, pp. 387–389; Howe, pp. 265–266.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 130–131, 133–134.
- ^ White 2017, pp. 471–474.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 134–135.
- ^ a b Karabell, p. 139.
- ^ Howe, p. 288.
- ^ Howe, p. 290.
- ^ Karabell, pp. 142–143.
- ^ Rottinghaus, Brandon; Vaughn, Justin S. (19 February 2018). "How Does Trump Stack Up Against the Best — and Worst — Presidents?". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
- ^ "Historians Survey Results: Chester Arthur". Presidential Historians Survey 2017. National Cable Satellite Corporation. 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
Bibliography
Books
- OCLC 3453791.
- ISBN 978-0-19-532688-8.
- Doenecke, Justus D. (1981). The Presidencies of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-0208-7.
- Feldman, Ruth Tenzer (2006). Chester A. Arthur. Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 978-0-8225-1512-8.
- Graff, Henry F., ed. The Presidents: A Reference History (3rd ed. 2002) online
- ISBN 978-0-7006-0641-2.
- Howe, George F. (1966) [1935]. Chester A. Arthur, A Quarter-Century of Machine Politics. New York: F. Ungar Pub. Co. ASIN B00089DVIG.
- ISBN 978-0-8050-6951-8.
- Pletcher, David M. The Awkward Years: American Foreign Relations under Garfield and Arthur (U of Missouri Press, 1962). online
- ISBN 978-0-394-46095-6.
- Weisberger, Bernard A. (2002). Henry F. Graff (ed.). The Presidents A Reference History James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur. Charles Scribners's Sons.
- ISBN 9780190619060.
Articles
- Bastert, Russell H. (March 1956). "Diplomatic Reversal: Frelinghuysen's Opposition to Blaine's Pan-American Policy in 1882". The Mississippi Valley Historical Review. 42 (4): 653–671. JSTOR 1889232.
- "Chester A. Arthur". New York City Statues. Archived from the original on 2012-10-13. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- Clary, Zachary. "A Smoking Gun and a Woman’s Touch: President Chester Arthur’s Transformation that Reformed American Politics in the Late Nineteenth Century." Penn History Review 27.1 (2021): 6+. online
- Hutchinson, C.P. (April 1947). "The Present Status of Our Immigration Laws and Policies". The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly. 25 (2): 161–173. JSTOR 3348178.
- Gaughan, Anthony J. "Chester Arthur's Ghost: A Cautionary Tale of Campaign Finance Reform." Mercer Law Review 71 (2019): 779+.
- Todd, A. L. (June 1960). "Ordeal In The Arctic". American Heritage. Vol. 11, no. 4. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- Marszalek, John F. Jr. (August 1971). "A Black Cadet At West Point". American Heritage. 22 (5).
- "Monuments At Albany" (PDF). The New York Times. January 7, 1894.
- Perry, Warren (January 8, 2023). "Chester Arthur: A Birthplace Controversy, 1880". National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Reeves, Thomas C. (Summer 1972). "The Search for the Chester Alan Arthur Papers". The Wisconsin Magazine of History. 55 (4): 310–319. JSTOR 4634741.
- Reeves, Thomas C. (Autumn 1970). "The Mystery of Chester Alan Arthur's Birthplace". Vermont History. 38 (4): 300.
- Stuart, Paul (September 1977). "United States Indian Policy: From the Dawes Act to the American Indian Policy Review Commission". Social Service Review. 51 (3): 451–463. S2CID 143506388.
- Theriault, Sean M. (February 2003). "Patronage, the Pendleton Act, and the Power of the People". The Journal of Politics. 65 (1): 50–68. S2CID 153890814.
- Jampoler, Andrew C.A. (August 2010). "Disaster at Lady Franklin Bay". Naval History Magazine. Vol. 24, no. 4. U.S. Naval Institute. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
- Arrington, Benjamin T. (October 5, 2016). "President Chester A. Arthur". We're History. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- "Chester A. Arthur Fourth Annual Message". The American Presidency Project. December 1, 1884. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
External links
- Essays on Chester Arthur and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and First Lady, from the Miller Center of Public Affairs
- Chester Arthur: A Resource Guide from the Library of Congress
- "Life Portrait of Chester A. Arthur", from C-SPAN's American Presidents: Life Portraits, August 6, 1999
- "Life and Career of Chester A. Arthur", presentation by Zachary Karabell at the Kansas City Public Library, May 23, 2012
- Chester A. Arthur's Presidency, a video by History.com
- Chester A. Arthur's Personal Manuscripts from Shapell.org