American Presidents

James Garfield
“I have had many troubles in
my life, but the worst of them
never came.” —James Garfield

Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. How many US presidents have been assassinated?

2. Can you name one of President Garfield’s

greatest accomplishments?

3. Do you know the meaning of the word “cronyism”?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match as many meanings and words as you can before you read.
Check this exercise again after seeing the words in context on page 2.

1. classics a)  the legal profession

2. the bar b)  a formal assembly of representatives
3. resign c)  a combined subject of ancient literature and philosophy
4. convention d)  one’s official position on a subject or issue
5. eloquent e)  to give up one’s role or position
6. indecisive f)  to make someone very angry
7. stance g)  a person who targets and kills another (often a leader)
8. corrupt h)  a close companion
9. crony i)  written or stated in a way that flows well
10. infuriate j)  having good relations
11. assassin k)  dishonest and unlawful
12. diplomatic l)  unable to make up one’s mind

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Reading
1. James Garfield was the 20th president of the
United States. He was born in Ohio in 1831. When
James was 18 months old, his father died. Because
James was poor and fatherless, he had a difficult
childhood. He found comfort in religion, and as a
young adult, he became a minister in the
Church of the Disciples of Christ. In 1856, Garfield
graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts.
A year later, he became a professor of classics at a
small college that he had attended in Ohio. Within
a year, he became the president of that college.
2. In 1859, Garfield was elected to the Ohio Senate.
During this time, he also studied law and was
admitted to the Ohio bar in 1860. In 1861, Garfield
joined the Union Army. During his time in the army,
he rose from lieutenant colonel to major general
of volunteers. In 1862, Garfield was elected to the
US House of Representatives. He was still in the
army when he was elected, but President Lincoln
convinced him to resign. In late 1863, Garfield
left the army and took his seat in Congress.
Garfield proved to be a very effective senator
and Republican leader. He served in Congress
for 17 years.
3. In 1880, James Garfield ran for president. Initially,
he was not planning to run, but at the Republican
convention, one of the candidates asked Garfield
to give a nominating speech for him. Garfield gave
such an eloquent speech that he was asked to run
for president himself. Garfield won the election,
but by a very slim margin.
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James Garfield
American Presidents
4. In March of 1881, Garfield was sworn in as
president. In Congress, Garfield had been
a strong leader. However, as president, his
leadership style was often indecisive. Still, when
Garfield believed in a cause, he could be strong
and stubborn. Early in his presidency, he took an
uncompromising stance on an important issue.
In past administrations, senators often took
charge of making appointments to civil service
positions, appointing friends or supporters to
important posts. Garfield decided to put an end
to this corrupt crony system. He challenged
the powerful New York senator Roscoe Conkling
over the appointment of the Chief Collector of
the Port of New York. Garfield appointed a rival
of Conkling’s to the position. President Garfield’s
decision infuriated Conkling and other senators.
Garfield, however, stood his ground, and Conkling
angrily resigned from the Senate.
5. After only four months in office, in July of 1881,
Garfield was shot in a railway station. The assassin
was Charles Guiteau, an emotionally disturbed
man who was a follower of Senator Conkling.
He was angry at the Garfield administration
for ignoring his request for a diplomatic post.
President Garfield did not die immediately. He
remained in bed, in pain, while doctors tried to
find the bullet that was still in his body. Garfield
suffered in the White House for two months. Then,
he asked to be moved to his house near the ocean.
Finally, in September of 1881, 80 days after the
shooting, Garfield died.
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 James Garfield
American Presidents

Comprehension
A. True or False?

Read the statements below.

If the statement is true, write T beside the sentence.
If it is false, write F and correct the information in your notebook.

1. James Garfield was born in a house near the ocean.

2. Garfield graduated from college in Massachusetts.

3. Garfield was a preacher and a teacher.

4. Garfield taught classical music at a small college.

5. The highest army rank that Garfield achieved was lieutenant colonel.

6. President Lincoln advised Garfield to stay in the army.

7. Garfield became a respected leader in Congress.

8. Garfield died in a railway station.

B. Ask & Answer

Practice asking and answering the following questions with your partner.
Then write your answers in complete sentences in your notebook.

1. Why was Garfield’s childhood difficult?

2. How did Garfield feel about religion?

3. What in the reading tells you that Garfield was an excellent professor?

4. Which political party did Garfield belong to?

5. What was the first election that Garfield won?

6. How long did Garfield serve in the US House of Representatives?

7. Why was Garfield asked to run for president?

8. According to the reading, who usually made political appointments?

9. Why did Garfield think that the crony system was unfair?

10. How long had Garfield been president when he was shot?

11. How would you describe the assassin, Charles Guiteau?

12. What was President Garfield’s condition after he was shot?

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 James Garfield
American Presidents

Vocabulary Practice
A. Choose the Closest Meaning

Choose the word or phrase with the closest meaning to

the underlined word or phrase in the following sentences.

1. Garfield was respected in Congress because 4. When Garfield believed strongly in

he was a very effective Republican leader. something, he could be stubborn.

a) incapable a) corrupt
b) uncomfortable b) uncompromising
c) successful c) disable

2. Some historians feel that Garfield, a strong leader 5. Some senators were corrupt because they
in Congress, was an indecisive president. appointed their friends to important posts.

a) uninteresting a) dishonest
b) unsure b) unbelievable
c) powerful c) inflexible

3. Garfield gave an eloquent nominating 6. An emotionally disturbed man shot

speech for another candidate. President Garfield in a railway station

a) unbelievable and inspiring a) mentally unstable

b) unemotional and inspiring b) infuriated
c) expressive and inspiring c) disinterested

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 James Garfield
American Presidents

Vocabulary Practice cont.

B. Matching

Match the words to their definitions.

1. the administration a)  a job in international relations

2. take one’s seat in Congress b)  a small difference in the number of votes between candidates

c)  government department job

3. nominating speech
d)  a formal ceremony where someone promises
4. civil service position to fulfill the requirements the job

5. diplomatic post e)  to begin a job as a senator or representative

f)  a talk (usually at a political convention) that offers

6. to be sworn in
the name of a candidate who wants to run for office
7. by a slim margin g)  to select someone to fill a political office

8. appoint h)  the government of a country

Discussion
1. Garfield fought the crony system.
Do you think that the crony system still exists today? Explain.

2. Do you think that Garfield’s assassin was

influenced by the crony system? Explain.

3. Garfield said, “If the power to do hard work is not talent, it is the best
possible substitute for it.” How does this quote reflect Garfield’s life?
What do you think he achieved through hard work?

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 James Garfield
American Presidents

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Int – Adv

In this lesson students read a short biography about the 20th
president of the United States. Students review vocabulary and
discuss the crony system.
TIME: 1–2 hours
TAGS:  J ames Garfield, Garfield, Hayes, American Presidents,
president, history, politics, crony system

Pre-Reading B. ASK & ANSWER

1. His father died when he was only

A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS 18 months old, and his family was poor.

1. Four presidents have been killed in office: Abraham Lincoln, 2. He found comfort in religion. Later, he became a minister.

James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy. 3. Within a year, he became the president of the college.

2. Answers will vary. 4. He belonged to the Republican Party.

3. Cronyism: an unfair system in which people give jobs 5. He was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1859.

to their friends rather than to the most qualified person. 6. He served in the House for 17 years.
7. He gave such an eloquent, inspiring speech at the Republican

B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW convention that he was asked to run for president.

8. Senators usually took charge of making
1. c 3. e 5. i 7. d 9. h 11. g appointments to civil service positions.
2. a 4. b 6. l 8. k 10. f 12. j 9. He thought that senators were appointing
friends or political supporters instead of appointing
Comprehension the most qualified people for the positions.
10. He had been president for four months.
A. TRUE OR FALSE? 11. Charles Guiteau was emotionally disturbed.
12. Garfield did not die immediately. He remained
1. F – He was born in Ohio. He died in his house by the ocean.
bedridden and in pain while doctors tried to
2. T
find the bullet that was still in his body.
3. T
4. F – He taught classics.
(continued on the next page...)
5. F – He rose in rank to major general of volunteers.
6. F – Lincoln convinced him to resign.
7. T
8. F – He was shot in a railway station, but died 80 days later.

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 James Garfield
American Presidents

Answer Key cont.

Vocabulary Practice

A. CHOOSE THE CLOSEST MEANING

1. c 2. b 3. c 4. b 5. a 6. a

B. MATCHING

1. h 3. f 5. a 7. b
2. e 4. c 6. d 8. g

Discussion

Use these questions for writing or speaking practice. For writing

practice, you can assign one to each student or allow students to
choose one. For speaking practice, discuss in groups or as a class.

SPELLING NOTE:

This lesson shows the American spelling of the word Practice.

Most other English-speaking countries spell it this way: Practise
(when used as a verb; Practice when used as a noun). Make it a
challenge for your students to find this word in the lesson and
see if they know the alternate spelling.

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