Garfield Administration - Career
Career
Garfield worked his way through college as a teacher, carpenter, and janitor. After graduation Garfield became an instructor and eventually the president of the Eclectic Institute in Hiram, Ohio. Bored with campus life, Garfield began to study law on his own and became involved with Republican politics. Garfield was elected to the Ohio State Senate in 1859 as a strong opponent of slavery. When the American Civil War (1861–65) broke out, Garfield supported President Abraham Lincoln and the military efforts to maintain the Union. Garfield joined the Union Army in 1861.
Military Service
Garfield served in the Union military from August 1861 to December 1863, rising from the rank of lieutenant colonel to major general. Garfield successfully led his troops in many battles, including the battle of Shiloh in April 1862. After contracting camp fever...
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