Learn About The 50 States
James A. Garfield (1831)close
James Garfield was born on a frontier farm in Cuyahoga County, Ohio in 1831.
While President of Hiram College, Garfield was elected to Ohio senate in 1859 and served as an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War.
At the 1880 Republican Nation Convention, Garfield became a "dark horse" nominee on the thirty-sixth ballot. He went on to win the election by a margin of only 10,000 popular vote and became the twentieth president. Less than 4 months after his inauguration, Garfield was shot by a disgruntled office-seeker while waiting for a train in Washington, DC. He never recovered from the wound and died on September 19, 1881, at the age of 49.
Click on any of the names below to find out more...
Looking for a famous American?
This page presents short biographies of more than 200 famous Americans drawn from our unit, "The 50 States." These personalities are arranged by theme.
Just click a theme at the top of the page to view a selection list for that theme.
African Americans:
Artists:
Business Leaders:
National "Characters":
| Phineas Taylor "P.T." Barnum | Clyde Barrow | John Wilkes Booth |
| Butch Cassidy | William "Buffalo Bill" Cody | Davy Crockett |
| Jesse James | Evel Knievel | Harland David "Colonel" Sanders |
| Jefferson R. "Soapy" Smith |
Cultural Figures:
Inventors:
Pioneers and "Firsts":
Politicians & Activists:
Scientists:
Sports Figures:
Accomplished Women:
Writers & Poets: