The Last Lincoln Republican

The Presidential Election of 1880

Benjamin T. Arrington (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

232 Seiten

2023
University Press of Kansas (Verlag)
978-0-7006-3603-7 (ISBN)

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Of all the great “what if” scenarios in American history, the aftermath of the presidential election of 1880 stands out as one of the most tantalizing. The end of the Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln had thrown the future of Lincoln’s vision for the country into considerable doubt; the years that followed—marked by impeachment, constitutional change, presidential scandals, and the contested election of 1876—saw Republicans fighting to retain power as they transitioned into the party of “big business.” Enter James A. Garfield, a seasoned politician known for his advocacy of civil rights, who represented the last potential Reconstruction presidency: truly, Benjamin T. Arrington suggests in this book, the last “Lincoln Republican.”The story of the presidential election of 1880, fully explored for the first time in The Last Lincoln Republican, is a political drama of lasting consequence and dashed possibilities. A fierce opponent of slavery before the war, Garfield had fought for civil rights for African Americans for years in Congress. Holding true to the original values of the Republican Party, Garfield wanted to promote equal opportunity for all; meanwhile, Democrats, led by Winfield Scott Hancock, sought to return the South to white supremacy and an inferior status for African Americans. With its in-depth account of the personalities and issues at play in 1880, Arrington’s book provides a unique perspective on how this critical election continues to resonate through our national politics and culture to this day.

A close look at the contest of 1880 reveals that Garfield’s victory could have been the start of a period of greater civil rights legislation, a continuation of Lincoln’s vision. This was the choice made by the American people—and, as The Last Lincoln Republican makes poignantly clear, the great opportunity forever lost when Garfield was assassinated just a few months into his term.

Benjamin T. Arrington is site manager, James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Mentor, Ohio. He is the author of The Medal of Honor at Gettysburg as well as essays on the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Editors’ Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. “Half Way between God and the Devil”: The Election of 1876 and Its Aftermath
2. “Let Us Not Shrink Now”: The Rise of James A. Garfield
3. “Antagonisms and Controversies”: The 1880 Republican National Convention—Part 2
4. “If Any Outsider Is Taken, I Hope It Will Be Garfield”: The 1880 Republican National Convention—Part 2
5. “The Most Infamous Man in America”: Winfield Scott Hancock and the 1880 Democratic National Convention
6. “Indefatigable Agitators”: Third-Party Candidates in the 1880 Election
7. “Those Great Questions of National Well-Being”: The 1880 Presidential Campaign
8. “The Personal Aspects of the Presidency Are Far from Pleasant”: James A. Garfield as President
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliographic Essay
Index

Erscheinungsdatum	30.06.2023
Reihe/Serie	American Presidential Elections
Verlagsort	Kansas
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Gewicht	272 g
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
Themenwelt	Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung ► Staat / Verwaltung
ISBN-10	0-7006-3603-X / 070063603X
ISBN-13	978-0-7006-3603-7 / 9780700636037
Zustand	Neuware