The Last Lincoln Republican: The Presidential Election of 1880

American Presidential Elections

by Benjamin T. Arrington

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.

Genres: History, Presidents, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 23, 2020

Reviews

[Louis Picone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written & important book. Most other books about James Garfield focus on his assassination, but Arrington explores the little known story of his nomination, election & brief presidency with the assassination only covered briefly in the conclusion. The book combines gripping personalities and critical policy & party differences that impacted the trajectory of American history. It's not surprising that as Site Manager for the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Arrington knows his stuff and provides extraordinary insight, but it is notable that his book is not hagiographic and the author's scholarship is top-notch. Personally I came away with a better understanding - and an enhanced admiration - for James Garfield as well as an inevitable wondering of how history would have been different had he not been assassinated

PS - I'm also honored to be the first to review this book!

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative overview of the political times of the Hayes/ Garfield era from 1876-1881. While it lacks any real biography of James Garfield, The Last Lincoln Republican's emphasis is on his political rise to the presidency. Nevertheless, this offers a great overview of a forgotten period in American history, specifically a thorough look at the political parties of the era and how Reconstruction began to falter. While Candice Millard's "Destiny of the Republic" provides a more compelling read of Garfield and his life, brief presidency, and horrific death, The Last Lincoln Republican is a worthy portrait of an overlooked political era and the rise of a man who could have been a damn good president.

[Christopher Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is very interesting, but would only recommend it if you are into presidential history or election history. It heavily goes over the nomination process for both parties in 1880, then talks about the issues of the day and how the campaigns were run. The last section somewhat goes over the Garfield Administration and his subsequent assassination, but it mainly focuses on how both sides got their nominees.

[Mitchell Kaufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Garfield fan, I found this history of his life and times compelling. Well researched and written by the site director of the James A. Garfield National Historical Site in Mentor, Ohio, just miles from my home, it treats the president not as a short serving footnote in American history, most notable for his assassination, but as the intelligent politician he was and as perhaps the last, best hope for post-Civil War reconciliation.

This book is a worthy addition to the texts about one of our most neglected Presidencies.

[Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The goals of Reconstruction were great, the results were poor. America declined to resolve the problems of its racial history and African Americans were forced to endure all of the anguish of slavery in everything but name for another 80 years. Limiting African American political agency has passed from the Democratic Party to the Republican.

Before everything went horribly wrong (and racial and class relations got worse before they got better), the election of 1880 offered a way to avoid these future disasters. True, in exchange for the presidency Hayes had removed the last loyal military forces from the south which had made possible some political agency for the newly freed. However, in Garfield there was a figure who took an uncompromising stance on promoting racial equality. It would not be until Lyndon Johnson’s presidency, 100 years after the war that equality had a better advocate. Unfortunately, he would be dead through a combination of the efforts of an assassin and his own incompetent physicians and racial equality became a dirty word, something to tiptoe around, regardless of political affiliation.

This book is excellent in charting Garfield’s rise from dark horse candidate to denizen of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and depicting the titanic struggle between Roscoe Cockling and James G. Blaine. This was the era of the congressional magnates and really the presidency was almost an afterthought in this era, that ably captured by Henry Adams in his novel “Democracy.” As a result of an inter party struggle, between the “stalwarts” and “half breeds” (similar to today’s cleavage in the Republican Party),Garfield entered the 1880 Republican convention with no delegates and left as the standard bearer.

To attempt to convey where Garfield stood in 1880, this excerpt from a speech he made in 1880 will illustrate. Hard to imagine a 21st Republican uttering these words:

“Gentlemen, ideas outlive men. Ideas outlive all human things. And all that we mean today by our meeting as veterans and comrades, is to stand as a sacred guard about the truth for which we fought.

We have seen white men betray the flag and fight to kill the Union, but in all that long and dreary war you never saw a traitor under a black skin. In all that period of terror and distress no Union soldier was ever betrayed by any black man anywhere, and as long as we live we'll stand by these black allies of ours.

We will stand by them until the equal sunlight of liberty shall shine upon every man, black or white, in the Union. Citizens of New York, thank you for this magnificent demonstration. Thank you, thank you.”

One can only imagine these words being uttered in the context of the 6 January attack on American institutions and the denunciations on Fox likely involving CRT and “wokeness” if these sentiments were repeated. The greatest tragedy of Garfield’s presidency was that it was as brief as it was.

Unsuccessful candidates receive their due in this book. Winfield Scott Hancock, though a Union general, he was Garfield’s total opposite in racial matters (hence his appeal to the now all white solid south electorate). As a former general, Hancock was there to make the Democratic Party seem respectable and less inclined to secessionist tendencies. The background on the Greenback Party is particularly interesting. In their platform, they anticipated most progressive legislation for the next 40 years.


This is an excellent book from the University of Kansas’s series on US elections.

[Viral · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book on a whim after visiting the James Garfield National Historic Site with my fiance. We were back in the Cleveland area for a wedding, and we've been endeavoring to visit more NPS sites as we travel. I didn't really have high expectations for this site, as all I knew about James Garfield was that he was the president during the infamous boring presidential years between Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt and that he was assassinated. The site picqued my interest in him, however, and they had signed copies of this book by the gift shop in the visitor's center. So I picked it up.

I think Arrington does a great job here showing that Garfield really was the last national level Lincoln Republican; that his death marked the end of that era of politician and lead the Republican Party more commonly associated with that time, with folks like Arthur and McKinley. Arrington shows us how Garfield moved through Congress, how he campaigned for president, and the early actions of his presidency to give us insight into the type of man he was and why he had more in common with Lincoln and Grant than he did with his own VP. His untimely demise, as a result, becomes a big what-if for folks like myself who see Reconstruction as the crucible of "abolition democracy". What if the Republican Party had stayed true to their earlier commitments to civil rights? What if Garfield had been given eight full years to govern? Would Jim Crow segregation cement itself as solidly as it did, or would we have made much quicker progress on civil rights?

I didn't expect to have as much respect for Garfield as I do now. I have Arrington and the staff at the James Garfield NHS to thank for that. I also think this book shows us how the NPS site could definitely use a modern update to more forcefully tell the story of how Garfield was embedded in the fight over Reconstruction and civil rights.

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that if Gilded Age politics in general and the 1880 election specifically are new topics to you, this book might be a good introduction. However, if you are familiar with both, then I recommend you read the review by the excellent Gilded Age historian Mark W. Summers in Civil War book review( here: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/vi...). The book is more about Garfield than the campaign and doesn't grapple with the issues. Chester Arthur played an important role in managing the campaign in New York State, which was important to the Republican's narrow victory, but not discussed. I admit to being a big Garfield fan myself (and the author of a bio on Arthur) but he is oversold lately as someone who could or would have smothered Jim Crow in the cradle had he not been assassinated in 1881.

[Eric Burroughs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book about Garfield that makes one wonder how he would be remembered had he not been assassinated. Along with Destiny and the Republic, Arrington's book shows that Garfield was a defender of civil rights, which was waning in the Republican Party. The end of Reconstruction is often put, incorrectly, with the election of Hayes, but one wonders if Garfield had lived if Reconstruction would have continued. I also knew little about Hancock after the Civil War. This book shows that Hancock was no supporter of civil rights, and his service in the US Army during the war is the pinnacle of his career.

[Steve Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good look into the 1880 presidential election and James Garfield’s dark horse rise to the presidency. Arrington shows how Garfield is the last Republican who was for freedom to all men equally including the emancipated blacks. Garfield appears to be an able politician, and though one of the “lesser known” presidents, had an interesting life, and will always remain on of the great “what ifs” had he not been assassinated six months into his first term.

[Shaun Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about the time after Reconstruction. A time that's often forgotten about until the Teddy Roosevelt presidency. President Garfield moved up in my all time presidents list even with his unfortunate short presidency.

[Marin Sneed · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is PERFECT for what it is needed for, but it doesn’t come near my sally Rooney fiction novels sorry not sorry. I’m a fiction lover to my core and history books make me wanna die (love to yap about history, hate to read about it ngl)

[Nick Jellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insight into the 1880 presidential election and the background behind it.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and an informative glimpse into the political times after the Civil War...which in some ways is not so different than today. This is an easy and interesting read.

[Jim Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before it was the party of big business, the Republican Party was the party to free the slaves. It achieved this to a great extent under Lincoln, and the 4 Republican Presidents that followed him aimed to follow through on it to a greater (Grant and Garfield) or lesser (Hayes and Arthur) extent. The book follows one of the better ones (James A Garfield).

The problem was that he was shot 6 months into his presidency, and so there isn't much presidency to talk about. In response, the author tries to tell you who he was, and suggest who he might have become.

It was a good read, just slightly depressing. You'll learn a great deal about the guy, his convictions, and vision. You'll just be furious he didn't get to see it through.

[Bryan Gish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently had a chance to visit the James Garfield National Historic site in Mentor, Ohio and i remembered I had this book and just finished it for the second time and it was even better this time through.