33 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. NPS James A. Garfield became president on March 4, 1881
James A. Garfield was sworn in as the 20th president of the United States on March 4, 1881. Here are two moments during the inauguration, as reported in the Saturday, March 5, edition of two newspapers. The New York Times: “The reception which the inaugural address received from the crowd must have been exceedingly gratifying to the president-elect. Many portions of it were loudly applauded, particularly in reference to the colored people and their elevation to citizenship. The delivery of this and other portions was remarkably effective, so much so that in many instances old black men, who had been slaves, were seen weeping in the crowd. ... When he concluded his speech... [the president-elect] turned to the Chief Justice ... That officer administered the oath. James A. Garfield bent low, kissed the Bible, and was declared President of the United States. ... It is noteworthy that the chair upon which he sat while on the grandstand was the same used by George Washington in New York at his inauguration as first President of the United States." 
The Interocean (Chicago): "As soon as the oath was administered, he turned impulsively to his mother and kissed her, and then kissed his wife. The little incident was very touching because of the overpowering impulse that controlled President Garfield at the moment, and it called out a tremendous cheer."
"History of Hiram College" An impactful woman remembered
“I venture to assert, that in native powers of mind, in thoroughness and breadth of scholarship, in … sweetness of spirit, and in the quantity and quality of effective, unselfish work done, she has not been excelled. …” This thought was among the last that former fellow student and teacher James A. Garfield offered in his eulogy of Almeda Ann Booth, delivered at Hiram College on June 22, 1876. On parting from Almeda Booth years earlier, in preparation for his studies at Williams College, James Garfield recorded in his diary, “I can truly say that I never met with any person, save my own dear mother, who has been of so much advantage to me in thinking, reasoning and living. …” Almeda Booth was born on August 15, 1823, in Nelson, Ohio. She died in Cleveland on December 15, 1875. She never married; she was always “Miss Booth.” In “Hiram College and Western Reserve Eclectic Institute: Fifty Years of History, 1850-1900,” author F. M. Green wrote: “Her power over students was very great. ... It is no exaggeration to say that in Northern Ohio no lady teacher has surpassed Miss Booth. … Fewer women of nobler character, purer life, or better mental equipment, have ever lived.” Almeda Ann Booth, James Garfield’s early fellow explorer in the majesties of geometry and the wisdom of the ancient Greeks and Romans and their languages, was a seminal force in his intellectual growth and development. So let his final compliment to her conclude this article. “On my own behalf, I take this opportunity to say, that for her generous and powerful aid, so often and so efficiently rendered, for her quick and never-failing sympathy, and for her intelligent, unselfish and unswerving friendship, I owe her a debt of gratitude and affection. …” 
Who’s laughing now?
April 1st is commonly celebrated as April Fools’ Day in the United States and elsewhere in the world. One of the more common April 1st pranks is for newspapers to publish a false news story. Generally, the piece is so overthe-top outlandish that it fools nobody, but occasionally, the devious tricksters ensnare an unsuspecting reader into believing. As it relates to newspaper sensationalism and the deliberate exaggeration of facts for comic effect, we thought this April would be a great time to take a look at some of the ways in which presidential candidate James A. Garfield was depicted by popular political cartoons of his day. The first one (top) shows former president, political rival, and former U.S. Army General Ulysses S. Grant stooping and offering his sword to Garfield. On the sword’s blade, the word “Imperialism.” Behind him, famous Stalwart Republicans including Roscoe Conkling are on their knees with bowed heads. Above the sword, Half-Breed Republicans John Sherman and James Blaine can be seen lowering and destroying a white flag on which is written “Third Term.” The caption mimic’s Grant’s Civil War nickname, “Unconditional Surrender,” and in the background of the kneeling Roscoe Conkling can be seen a group of sad-faced men in soldierly uniforms offering their rifles, on each of which is marked a failed project of the old Stalwart Republican faction. In second cartoon, bottom, we see Uncle Sam, baton in hand, directing the rehearsal of a ballet troupe. Ballerinas include James A. Garfield, Winfield Scott Hancock, Chester A. Arthur, Roscoe Conkling, and others. The “dance” they are performing is presumably the ritual of campaigning. These images remind us that cartoons and jokes in print can sometimes be more informative of the political atmosphere in which they are created. Exaggerations, even wild ones made at the expense of public figures, are instructive to the historian. |
Last updated: March 16, 2022