Benjamin T. Arrington

I think that if Gilded Age politics in general and the 1880 election specifically are new topics to you, this book might be a good introduction. However, if you are familiar with both, then I recommend you read the review by the excellent Gilded Age historian Mark W. Summers in Civil War book review( here: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3570&context=cwbr.... The book is more about Garfield than the campaign and doesn't grapple with the issues. Chester Arthur played an important role in managing the campaign in New York State, which was important to the Republican's narrow victory, but not discussed. I admit to being a big Garfield fan myself (and the author of a bio on Arthur) but he is oversold lately as someone who could or would have smothered Jim Crow in the cradle had he not been assassinated in 1881.… (més)