Chester A. Arthur
Every so often – usually around election time – certain magazines and websites like to compile lists of the least consequential, and most forgettable Presidents of all time. While such lists often vary, they usually have one thing in common: the inclusion of Chester A. Arthur. That’s not to say he wasn’t a political animal. He was a career politician and pounced on the presidency when it came to him. History, however, has not judged him so favorably.
The man who was to become America’s 21st President was born to Irish immigrants in Fairfield, Vermont in 1881. His Baptist preacher father instilled in young Chester a strong work ethic and, after graduating from Union College in 1848, he took the bar and then went to work as a lawyer in New York City during the 1850s.
By 1881, he was respected and renowned enough in the Big Apple to be made the Collector of the Port of New York – a position granted to him by President Grant himself. Here, he exerted his authority over the Customs House, demanding nothing less than complete honesty from his thousands of workers. At the same time, however, rumors soon began to circulate. Apparently, Arthur liked to receive kickbacks.
It was party politics and internal scheming in the Republican party which saw Arthur offered the position of Vice President, an offer he, of course, accepted. Then, just six months into his Vice Presidency, President James Garfield was shot and killed. Arthur took on the top job. Contrary to expectations, he immediately set about addressing corruption and cronyism in Washington politics. Unsurprisingly, this won him few friends. However, he did achieve a few things of note during his time in office, most notably his passing of America’s first Immigration Act.
In the end, Chester’s Presidential bid was half-hearted, to say the least. Not only did he lack any notable political allies and popular support, he was in poor health suffering from kidney disease. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t win the 1884 election. He died just two years later. While he may not have won popular acclaim, he stands out as an example of a President – and an unelected one at that – successfully rising above partisan party politics.