Curated OER
James Garfield
In this online interactive history instructional activity, students respond to 4 short answer and essay questions about the accomplishments of James Garfield. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive instructional...
National First Ladies' Library
The President's Assassin: Motives and Outcomes
Learners investigate the assassinations of four American presidents. Through research, groups create a dossier on one of the four men who were the assassins. After presentations of the dossiers, the class looks for common traits in...
Curated OER
America's Wars
Students classify information regarding American involvement in wars. In this classification lesson, students examine the causes of the war in which the United States has been involved, and classify them as mainly political, social,...
Curated OER
Civil Service Reform: Senate Debates
High schoolers examine the 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. They discuss the spoils system, answer discussion questions, read and analyze speeches, complete a worksheet summarizing their findings, and report their findings to the...
Curated OER
Civil Service Reform: Campaign Contributions
Students investigate the campaign contribution scandal in Illinois during the 1990s. They listen to a teacher-led discussion, answer discussion questions, compare/contrast two reform acts, and write their own civil service law.
Curated OER
Civil Service Reform: Senate Debates
Eleventh graders outline civil service reform proposals made by Senators during debates on Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. They interpret 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act to see if it incorporated Senators' proposals or...
Curated OER
Civil Service Reform: Campaign Contributions
Eleventh graders discuss the 19th-century spoils system. They discuss the 1990s licenses for bribes campaign contribution scandal that occurred under George Ryan's (Illinois's then-Secretary of State) tenure. .
Other
The Garfield Observer: Stalwarts, Half Breeds, and Political Assassination
This is a concise description of the turmoil in the Republican Party leading up to the campaign and election of 1880. How or whether to reform the patronage system was at the heart of the selection of a candidate. Find out about the...
Library of Congress
Loc: Topics in Chronicling America: Garfield Assassination
Find a chronology of events surrounding the assassination of President James Garfield, followed by links to articles from newspapers across the country that detailed the asssassination, his eventual death, and trial of the assassin,...
Ibis Communications
History Matters: The Death of President Garfield, 1881
Presidednt James Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881, and lingered until September 19, 1881. Read about how the medical community failed him, and follow his chief physician's recounting of how Garfield dealt with his pain.
Other
Ohio Memory: James Garfield Assassination Article
The Dover, Ohio, newspaper announces the death of President James A. Garfield because of an assassin's bullet. The article includes the surgeon's report of his worsening situation. Find an image of the newspaper article and the text.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Life and Death in the White House: James A. Garfield
Read a brief account of the assassination of President James Garfield by Charles Guiteau in July, 1881. Included are photographs and information about Alexander Graham Bell's attempts to find the bullet lodged in Garfield's body.
Northern Illinois University
Teaching Future Historians: Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
Find the text of the Pendleton Act that was adopted to regulate and improve civil service in the United States government. This law as passed as a result of the assassination of James Garfield by a disgruntled man who felt he deserved...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Guiteau Shot President Garfield
President James Garfield was shot, but it wasn't the bullet that killed him. Go to this Library of Congress to get more facts.
Harp Week
The Presidential Elections 1860 1912: James A. Garfield
This biography of James A. Garfield covers his participation in the Civil War, terms in the House of Representatives, and tumultous time in the presidency, serving only four months before he was shot by a would-be assassin.
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Charles Guiteau Trial
From Douglas O. Linder's extensive website covering famous trials primarily in U.S. History, this famous trial is the Garfield Assassination Trial of Charles Guiteau. Find the chronology of events, a diagram of the train station where...
Northern Illinois University
Teaching Future Historians: Civil Service Reform: Senate Debates
Here is a terrific lesson plan that involves all students in examining the reasons Senators had for and against civil service reform following the assassination President Garfield. All the source materials are available for the lesson as...
The White House
The White House: Presidents: James A. Garfield
This site, which is provided for by the White House, gives a brief biography of James A. Garfield, with details of his presidency and assassination.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Gilded Age 1870 1900: Key Political Issues: Patronage, Tariffs, Gold
Political patronage was a big problem in the late 19th century and led to corruption within the government. This made it difficult to reform the civil service. Tariffs were another big issue and affected economic groups in different...
Curated OER
Wikipedia: National Historic Landmarks in New York: Roscoe Conkling House
Home of Roscoe Conkling, divisive U.S. senator in years after Civil War; leader of Stalwart faction of Republican Party; contributor to atmosphere that led to the assassination of James Garfield.
US National Archives
Our Documents: Pendleton Act (1883)
The passage of the Pendleton Act was a reaction to assassination of President James A. Garfield. Find the text of the act and read a discussion of why such a law is necessary. An image of the document and a transcript of the law are...