Chester Arthur
The 21st President of the United States, Chester Arthur, was born in Vermont to an Irish immigrant couple. People always told him he “looked like a president”, but he only played the part when he took over the presidency after the death of President James Garfield in 1881. The vice president-turned-president had been in office from 1881 to 1885 and he is best known for the creation of the Pendleton Act. He ensured that citizens would earn federal government positions through a system based on merit instead of their political affiliations and connections. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act also implemented the use of examinations to screen applicants. During his term, Arthur also legislated the first federal immigration law that aimed to bar “paupers, criminals, and lunatics” from making their way into the country.
Chester Arthur
Martin Van Buren
President Martin Van Buren served for a single term between 1837 and 1841. He was in office during the huge economic crisis more commonly known as the Panic of 1837. It started only three months after he was sworn into office and this was considered the first great depression in the history of the United States. Van Buren was nicknamed ‘the Little Magician’ and he advocated for the US Treasury to become an independent institution in order to keep the funds separate while the political tides come and go through the years. He was appointed as the secretary of state during Andrew Jackson’s term before he succeeded him as the president and then later became the “minister to Great Britain” later on. He inherited the great depression and he was criticized for the closing down of a large number of businesses and banks thanks to the economic problems. However, the policies he set eventually brought the economy to life even though he never received credit for this as the effects only became noticeable once he was no longer the president.
Martin Van Buren
