Presidential Biographies: Chester Alan Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur has such an interesting story. Dismissed as a political hack and a backroom crony of New York Senator Roscoe Conkling (leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party), Arthur had never run for office until he was put on a ticket as James Garfield's running mate in the 1880 Presidential election. That was done to appease the Stalwart faction after a deadlocked convention resulted in running Garfield as a compromise candidate. Conkling did not want any of his Stalwarts on the ticket and had forbid any of them from running. Arthur was not Garfield's first choice, more like his third or fourth. Conkling did not want Arthur on the ticket, but Arthur surprised many, most likely including Conkling himself, but defying his leader and accepting the nomination. No one ever expected him to be president. When Garfield died after being shot by Charles Guiteau (and receiving negligent medical care), people were worried. They thought Arthur was out of his depth, that he would be corrupt and that Conkling would be the real power behind the throne. But Arthur surprised them. He was no George Washington, but, as Mark Twain wrote of him, "It would be hard indeed to better President Arthur's administration."
To be sure, there were times, as a backroom political organizer and fundraiser, when Arthur bent and broke the rules. But he was also quite virtuous at times, such as when as a young lawyer he represented African-Americans in civil rights case, or when he and another young lawyer went to "Bleeding Kansas" to support the anti-slavery faction. As President he did what no one expected him to do: sign the Pendleton Act promoting civil service reform, and when Conkling expected to be appointed Secretary of State (the leading cabinet position and often a stepping stone to the presidency), Arthur said no.
Up until recently, not much had been written about Arthur. For many years the leading biography about him (and still the best) was Thomas Reeves' 1991 Signature Series book Gentleman Boss: The Life of Chester Alan Arthur. Among other things, Reeves makes a strong argument for why it's almost certain that Arthur fudged the year of his birth and how he was older than he claimed. Two recent biographies of Arthur have been published. The better of the two is Scott Greenberger's 2019 book The Unexpected President: The Life and Times of Chester Alan Arthur. That was followed by John Pafford's less impressive 2019 book Chester A. Arthur: The Accidental President. There is also Gregory Dreher's 2006 biography Chester Alan Arthur: The Life of a Gilded Age Politician and President. Another early Arthur biography of Arthur was published in 1987, written by George Frederick Howe, called Chester A. Arthur: A Quarter Century of Machine Politics.
The University of Kansas Press's American Presidency series have combined Arthur's presidency with the brief one of his predecessor for a single volume, published in 1981 and written by Justus Doenecke, entitled The Presidencies of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur.
Arthur features in a work of fiction written by William Wiegand and published in 1983, called The Chester A. Arthur Conspiracy. The premise of the book is that, after assassinating Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth escapes to the home of a Confederate Virginia family where he falls in love with Nell, the wife of future president Chester A. Arthur and later becomes part of a plan to impersonate the president himself. Nell Herndon Arthur, the President's wife, was from a prominent Virginia family that supported the Confederacy during the war, which caused Arthur to take an administrative position rather than as a soldier in combat during the war. Nell died in January of 1880, prior to Arthur's selection as Garfield's running mate.
Another work of fiction about Arthur, though not intended as such, was written in 1884 by Arthur P. Hinman, called How a British Subject Became President. The book was intended to prevent Arthur from winning a second term as President, but the author was unaware that Arthur was suffering from a fatal kidney ailment at the time, and his health made a second term near impossible. The book suggests that Arthur was ineligible to become President because he was actually born in Canada, then a British colony. More credible historic sources have since discredited this theory and it was likely the Gilded Age version of "fake news."
One of the most interesting and unique books is about a trip Arthur made in the summer of 1883 in an attempt to rehabilitate his health. A number of dignitaries of the day came along with him including General Philip Sheridan and Robert Todd Lincoln. They also took a photographer along. Today many of those photographs have been compiled into a wonderful volume published in 2013 and edited by Jay Goodyear entitled A President in Yellowstone: The F. Jay Haynes Photographic Album of Chester Arthur's 1883 Expedition.
Chester Alan Arthur is among the least known of the presidents, which is such a pity. His life story is a fascinating one, full of contradictions and surprises, and worthy of the time spent in reading about it for all potus_geeks.
To be sure, there were times, as a backroom political organizer and fundraiser, when Arthur bent and broke the rules. But he was also quite virtuous at times, such as when as a young lawyer he represented African-Americans in civil rights case, or when he and another young lawyer went to "Bleeding Kansas" to support the anti-slavery faction. As President he did what no one expected him to do: sign the Pendleton Act promoting civil service reform, and when Conkling expected to be appointed Secretary of State (the leading cabinet position and often a stepping stone to the presidency), Arthur said no.
Up until recently, not much had been written about Arthur. For many years the leading biography about him (and still the best) was Thomas Reeves' 1991 Signature Series book Gentleman Boss: The Life of Chester Alan Arthur. Among other things, Reeves makes a strong argument for why it's almost certain that Arthur fudged the year of his birth and how he was older than he claimed. Two recent biographies of Arthur have been published. The better of the two is Scott Greenberger's 2019 book The Unexpected President: The Life and Times of Chester Alan Arthur. That was followed by John Pafford's less impressive 2019 book Chester A. Arthur: The Accidental President. There is also Gregory Dreher's 2006 biography Chester Alan Arthur: The Life of a Gilded Age Politician and President. Another early Arthur biography of Arthur was published in 1987, written by George Frederick Howe, called Chester A. Arthur: A Quarter Century of Machine Politics.
The University of Kansas Press's American Presidency series have combined Arthur's presidency with the brief one of his predecessor for a single volume, published in 1981 and written by Justus Doenecke, entitled The Presidencies of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur.
Arthur features in a work of fiction written by William Wiegand and published in 1983, called The Chester A. Arthur Conspiracy. The premise of the book is that, after assassinating Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth escapes to the home of a Confederate Virginia family where he falls in love with Nell, the wife of future president Chester A. Arthur and later becomes part of a plan to impersonate the president himself. Nell Herndon Arthur, the President's wife, was from a prominent Virginia family that supported the Confederacy during the war, which caused Arthur to take an administrative position rather than as a soldier in combat during the war. Nell died in January of 1880, prior to Arthur's selection as Garfield's running mate.
Another work of fiction about Arthur, though not intended as such, was written in 1884 by Arthur P. Hinman, called How a British Subject Became President. The book was intended to prevent Arthur from winning a second term as President, but the author was unaware that Arthur was suffering from a fatal kidney ailment at the time, and his health made a second term near impossible. The book suggests that Arthur was ineligible to become President because he was actually born in Canada, then a British colony. More credible historic sources have since discredited this theory and it was likely the Gilded Age version of "fake news."
One of the most interesting and unique books is about a trip Arthur made in the summer of 1883 in an attempt to rehabilitate his health. A number of dignitaries of the day came along with him including General Philip Sheridan and Robert Todd Lincoln. They also took a photographer along. Today many of those photographs have been compiled into a wonderful volume published in 2013 and edited by Jay Goodyear entitled A President in Yellowstone: The F. Jay Haynes Photographic Album of Chester Arthur's 1883 Expedition.
Chester Alan Arthur is among the least known of the presidents, which is such a pity. His life story is a fascinating one, full of contradictions and surprises, and worthy of the time spent in reading about it for all potus_geeks.