21.) Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885

10/25/21 • 51 min

Chester A. Arthur is the most corrupt politician to ever become president. For years, he made a fortune making sure enough money disappeared from the New York City customs house to keep his patron in power. When a backroom deal made him vice president and an assassin's bullet ended James Garfield's presidency and began Arthur's, the nation despaired. But then he got an unexpected letter. One woman - a woman he'd never met - believed he was capable of change. Could Arthur complete the most unexpected transformation in presidential history? Or was American democracy about to be sold to the highest bidder?
Follow along as Arthur goes from inspiring Civil Rights lawyer to not-so-inspiring corrupt political crony, to Vice President, to the White House and ponder the age old question - can people change?
Bibliography
1. The Unexpected President: The Life and Times of Chester A. Arthur – Scott S. Greenberger
2. Destiny of the Republic – Candice Millard
3. Rutherford B. Hayes – Hans. L. Trefousse
4. Grover Cleveland – Henry F. Graff
5. T.R. the last Romantic – H.R. Brands

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10/25/21 • 51 min

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[Abridged] Presidential Histories - 21.) Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885

Transcript

21.) Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885

Welcome to Abridged Presidential Histories with Kenny Ryan. Episode 21, Chester Arthur, the dude president.

In September, 1881, as president James Garfield lay slowly dying from an assassin’s bullet, Chester A. Arthur, the vice president of the united States, and a notoriously corrupt lieutenant to New York party boss Roscoe Conkling, received a letter from a woman he’d never met, and never spoken to before.

It read, in part

“The

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