Chester A. Arthur

Chester A. Arthur, a product of New York's patronage machine, became president on Garfield's assassination in 1881, and surprised his critics.

Expected to serve the spoils system that made him, he instead championed reform, signing the 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which created a merit-based system for federal jobs. He also modernized the Navy. Quietly battling a fatal kidney disease, he made only a token effort at renomination and left office respected for his unexpected independence.

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