James A. Garfield: The 20th President's 200 Days in Office

Smarter in sixty minutes. Get smarter in just 60 minutes with in60Learning . Concise and elegantly written non-fiction books and audiobooks help you learn the core subject matter in 20% of the time that it takes to read a typical book. Life is short, so explore a multitude of fascinating historical, biographical, scientific, political, and financial topics in only an hour each. The 20th U.S. president, James A. Garfield, served for only 200 days before his untimely death. His widowed mother raised Garfield in poverty on an Ohio farm, and he worked on a canal boat from a young age. He served as a general in the Civil War before serving his country in the House of Representatives. A passionate man, Garfield had many priorities when elected president—he wanted to reduce the national debt, build up education, and ensure Civil Rights were granted to all freed slaves. Yet his death came too quickly when a madman with a personal vengeance shot him, and a fumbling doctor failed to save his life.