Chester A. Arthur

Chester A. Arthur was the 21st president of the United States, serving from 1881 to 1885. Once known as a New York patronage politician, he signed major civil-service reform legislation.

Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act: An 1883 United States law that based many federal appointments on merit and restricted political assessments. Arthur signed this law, a defining break with the patronage system he had once served.
New York Republican Party: The state organization of the Republican Party in New York, a major force in nineteenth-century national politics. Arthur’s offices and political alliances were rooted in this state party organization.
James G. Blaine: A Republican politician from Maine who served as secretary of state and was the party’s 1884 presidential nominee. Blaine’s candidacy divided Republicans and helped determine the political setting of Arthur’s final year.
Assassination of James A. Garfield: The July 1881 shooting of President James A. Garfield by Charles J. Guiteau, followed by Garfield’s death that September. Garfield’s assassination abruptly placed Arthur, a former patronage politician, in the presidency.
Chinese Exclusion Act: A federal law enacted in 1882 that barred Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States. Arthur vetoed an earlier exclusion bill, then signed a revised measure restricting Chinese immigration.
Roscoe Conkling: A New York Republican senator and political boss who led the party’s Stalwart faction in the late nineteenth century. Conkling sponsored Arthur’s rise and embodied the factional loyalty that shaped his early career.
George H. Pendleton: An Ohio Democratic senator who sponsored the civil-service reform bill enacted in 1883. Pendleton gave congressional form to reforms Arthur chose to sign.
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882: A federal law suspending Chinese labor immigration for ten years and restricting Chinese immigrants’ legal rights. Arthur signed this revised exclusion law after vetoing a version with a longer suspension.
Morrill Land-Grant Acts: United States laws granting federal land to states to support colleges focused on agriculture and mechanical arts. Arthur vetoed a proposed expansion of federal aid to colleges, sparking debate over public education funding.
Stalwarts: A faction of late nineteenth-century Republicans that supported party patronage and the leadership of Roscoe Conkling. Arthur was a prominent Stalwart before his presidency strained his ties to the faction.

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Rutherford B. HayesRelated: Arthur’s patronage connections contrasted with the civil service reforms Hayes pursued.