10. How did the spoil system affect President James Garfield and his Successor Chester A. Authur?
1 answer
The spoil system led to the assassination of President James Garfield. Charles Guiteau, a disappointed office-seeker, shot Garfield in July 1881. Garfield died from complications related to the bullet wounds two months later. His successor, Chester A. Arthur, was a beneficiary of the spoil system himself as he had previously served as the Collector of the Port of New York, a position he obtained through political connections rather than qualifications. However, Arthur surprised many by distancing himself from the spoil system and advocating for civil service reform. He signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883, which established competitive examinations for government jobs and limited the number of positions available for political appointment.