Chester Arthur

American President Chester A. Arthur  (Y,M,O,T)
Extensive essays about the personal and political life of Chester Arthur from the Miller Center at the University of Virginia.

Timeline of the Arthur Presidency (T)
Timeline of events related to Arthur's presidency including links to transcriptions of speeches, laws, press releases, and more

Health and Medical History of Chester Arthur (M,O,T)
This site, detailed and footnoted with sources, chronicles the maladies and conditions of each U.S. president as compiled by John Sotos, MD.

Chester Alan Arthur: Obscure or underrated? (M,O,T)
A birthday reflection of the Arthur presidency from the National Constitution Center

Chester Alan Arthur's brave, short presidency (M,O,T)
Summary of Arthur's presidency from the National Constitution Center

Chester A. Arthur: 60-Second Presidents (M,O,T)
From PBS Learning; includes video and support materials for students and teachers

Presidential Podcast: Chester Arthur (O,T)
"How does one of the greatest beneficiaries of the spoils system end up being the president who passed civil service reform? Post reporter David Fahrenthold and Stateline editor Scott Greenberger tell the amazing story of Chester A. Arthur's personal transformation." From the Washington Post podcast "Presidential"

Bell Ringer: President Chester Arthur - Biography (M,O,T)
A  5-minute biographical video of the life and career of Chester Arthur with discussion questions from C-SPAN Classroom

Bell Ringer: Chester, Ellen, and Mary Arthur (M,O,T)
A  6-minute biographical video with discussion questions about "the lives of Chester and Ellen Arthur prior to him succeeding James Garfield as president as well as the role of first lady and his sister Mary Arthur's involvement"; from C-SPAN Classroom

Life Portrait of Chester A. Arthur (O,T)
This two-and-a-half-hour production about the life and career of President Arthur is from C-SPAN

Presidential Spotlight: Chester A. Arthur (O,T)
An extensive collection of primary sources related to Arthur from Primary Source Nexus funded by a grant from the Library of Congress

Kissimmee - Chester Arthur Roadtrip (Y,M,T)
Cute, short learning video about President Arthur's visit to central Florida

Chester A. Arthur  (Y,M,O,T)
From Biography.com

Chester A. Arthur  (Y,M,O,T)
From White House.gov

Chester Arthur: A Birthplace Controversy, 1880  (Y,M,O,T)
From the National Portrait Gallery

History.com: Chester A. Arthur  (Y,M,O,T)
This site offers videos, pictures and interactive resources for studying the presidents.

Notable Events During Arthur's Presidency

September 1881 - Assumes Presidency after Assassination of James Garfield

President James Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881, and died of sepsis on September 19. Chester Arthur was sworn in on September 20, 1881, and served out the remainder of the Garfield term.

May 1882 - Chinese Exclusion Act Signed

After slavery was outlawed, the Chinese became a strong workforce in California. Stereotypes and racism were rampant, and many Americans feared the Chinese. The Chinese Exclusion Act (background reading) was the first law to limit immigration based on race. [Note: The linked video from PBS Learning contains disturbing images and should be previewed before showing to students.]

January 1883 - Civil Service Reform Act Signed

Until the Civil Service Reform Act was passed, federal jobs were filled through nepotism and favor-granting. Although Arthur himself benefited from the old system, he was influenced by letters from Julius Sand, a stranger who wrote at least twenty-three letters "judging, advising, praising, and reprimanding the sitting president of the United States." Through the correspondence, Arthur's perspective changed to support civil service reform. This transformation is the subject of Redemption, the Chester A. Arthur episode of WaPo's Presidential podcast (transcript).