CHAPTER II: CONGRESSMAN GARFIELD:
In 1863, Garfield was elected to Congress. He wasn't sure if he should leave the Army. However, President Lincoln told him that it was crucial for there to be more congressmen who understood how important it was for the Union to stay together. Therefore, Garfield resigned as General and became a Congressman. He served in Congress for 17 years.
Even after the war was over, there were many, many issues that divided the country. For example, even though there would no longer be slavery (thanks to the thirteenth amendment), would Black Americans be protected from those who wanted to hurt them? Would they get to vote?
In 1879, then Congressman Garfield wrote an article about some of these issues. He talked about the "enfranchisement" of Blacks. Enfranchisement and suffrage mean the right to vote. For a real challenge, have a look at a section of this interesting article.
Garfield also believed that American money shouldn't just be paper, but that every piece of paper should be backed by gold actually in America. This was known as "honest money" since someone with American money would know it was actually worth something.
Garfield was a strong Republican. He believed that the Democrats were not totally loyal to the Union during the Civil War, and that many Democrats had been traitors. He said they had supported the Confederates and slavery, and should not be brought back into power. Throughout his career he encouraged people all over the country to vote for Republican candidates. One speech was even reprinted after his death to help the Republican candidate for president. To read this challenging article, click here.
Click here for Chapter 3...Running for President
