Chester A. Arthur Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ireland

William Arthur was born in Dreen, in County Antrim, Ireland in 1796. He left Ireland as a young man, first settling in Quebec and eventually in Vermont.

Answer: North Fairfield

Arthur was born in North Fairfield, Vermont, which is near the Vermont/Canadian border, on October 5, 1829. Arthur's political enemies claimed that Arthur had, in fact, been born in Canada and was not eligible for the presidency but no proof has ever been discovered of that.

Answer: Union

Arthur graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York in 1848 where he studied the Greek classics. He graduated in the top third of his class.

Answer: ship wreck

William Herndon was the captain of the "Central America" which sank off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in 1857. He went down with his ship.

Answer: Kansas

Arthur, who opposed slavery, travelled to Kansas during the time of "Bleeding Kansas" when abolitionists and slave holders were fighting for control of the Kansas territory. He would stay out there for three months before returning to New York.

Answer: 7

Arthur was appointed to the post by President Grant in 1871 and removed in 1878 by President Hayes is a complete cleaning out of the customs house as a result of corruption charges.

Answer: Roscoe Conkling

Conkling came to the US Senate and became a loyal supporter of Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. In exchange, Grant gave Conkling control of civil service employment in New York State. Conkling was the leader of a faction called the "Stalwarts" who got that name from the way they stood behind Grant and their opposition to President Hayes' reconciliation efforts toward the old Confederate States.
Conkling served in the US Senate from 1867 to 1881 and died in 1888.

Answer: Levi P. Morton

Morton was offered the position but was convinced by Conkling to refuse the offer. Eight years later, Morton would come vice-president during the administration of Benjamin Harrison.

Answer: New York City

Arthur had just disembarked from a steam ship from Albany to New York City with Conkling when he received the news of Garfield's shooting.

Answer: John R. Brady

Brady, a justice of the New York Supreme Court, swore in Arthur as president at Arthur's home in New York City on September 20, 1881. The swearing-in ceremony would be repeated a few days later in Washington with U.S. Supreme Court Chief-Justice Morrison Waite doing the honors.

Answer: No

Ellen Arthur died of pneumonia on January 10, 1880 at the age of 42, 20 months before Arthur became president.

Answer: 10

Arthur vetoed the original bill which called for a 20-year ban but signed another bill, which called for only a 10-year ban. The law was renewed in 1892 and 1902 and finally repealed in 1943.

Answer: George Pendleton

Pendleton represented Ohio in the US Senate from 1879 to 1885 and was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee with George McClellan that opposed Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He was denied a second term to the senate and died in Brussels, Belgium in 1889 while serving there as an U.S. envoy.

Answer: kidneys

Bright's Disease affected Arthur's kidneys, causing him to suffer from nausea, depression and inertness. The strain would eventually affect his heart and Arthur would suffer a stroke during the night of November 16, 1886. Arthur would die two days later, less than two years after leaving the presidency.

Answer: Albany

Arthur was buried on November 22, 1886 at the Rural Cemetary in Albany, next to his wife. His grave was topped by a life-size bronze angel, which has turned green in the years following Arthur's death.