Essay On Republican Motherhood

Eliza Garfield showed republican motherhood in a wonderful way, because she gave everything she had so James Garfield was never left hungry, unclothed, or uneducated after her husband had died. She gave her entire life savings to James Garfield so he was able to attend a semester of college, and he worked as a janitor for the rest of his tuition although because he was such a smart student he was able to get a job as a professor. Lucretia Garfield, James’ wife, also showed republican motherhood because a lot of time while Garfield was away from Ohio before he was elected Lucretia had all the children on her own and had to fend for them.
Garfield’s lack of greatness in his nominating address for John Sherman brought the division of the republican party into factions. The industrial revolution also brought division throughout the United States. Leftover issues from the civil war divided the citizens and the country.
Those who were part of machine politics, the Stalwarts, made it hard for the lower class to find jobs to support their lives. The Stalwarts wanted corruption. However as Garfield was giving
his speech on behalf of Sherman he asked, “And now gentlemen on the convention, what do we want?” unexpectedly someone shouts, “We want Garfield!” James Garfield was very keen on bringing equality to all people. The people trusted him, on the thirty-sixth ballot Garfield has found himself as the republican candidate for president. Garfield was ready to change the government, in fact change America, for he was a man who was against the mechanical politics going on because it was no help to the people but he wanted to bring as much equality to the people as possible at the time. One of the few speeches Garfield gave during his candidacy he spoke of equality of the black and white men. Garfield believed every man had the right to vote to protect his property, labor, and destiny in america, no matter the color of their skin. Garfield then became the 20th president of the United States.
I find it so amazing that people from near and far would come to Garfield’s home just to speak to him, in fact large groups of people would stand on his lawn and wait for his talks on the veranda.
The most moving talk being when the students of an all black university came to just to hear his wise words and jubilee singers stood in front of his porch “serenading” him.
Although one thing I didn’t understand was why Charles Guiteau thought killing James Garfield was what God wanted. Wouldn’t that be the devil speaking to him, not god? He believed that because of his murder of Garfield he would be famous. Guiteau bought a fancy gun to shoot Garfield with believing it would be in a museum someday. Why did Guiteau believe that using a gun was the way to kill him, why did he believe any way of killing was okay? Shooting Garfield led to his execution, to which he was
hanged.