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…under our institutions there was no middle ground for the negro race between slavery and equal citizenship. There can be no permanent disfranchised peasantry in the United States. Inaugural Address

Inaugural Address

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Legacy

Garfield was the last president to have been born in a log cabin. Despite his family’s poverty, he was an avid reader as a child and became well known for his hard work and dedication to his studies. He graduated from college first in his class. He also studied law on his own, then military tactics so he could serve as an effective officer during the Civil War. He eventually became a major general of volunteer troops.

During his campaign, Garfield was accused of having been involved in the scandals of the Grant administration, including the acceptance of bribes. Congress declared him innocent, but many remained suspicious. As president Garfield did not endeavor to continue Hayes’ work of ending political patronage and corruption. However, he is credited with strengthening federal authority over the New York Customs House, which had long been exploited by patronage assignments and power.