Chester A. Arthur

Years in Office: 1881 to 1885

Chester A. Arthur was a professional politician who achieved his goals by whatever he could. He rose to power during a period of dishonesty in government. As a New York lawyer he became known as a defender of Negro's civil rights. In 1855 he won a case establishing rights for Negroes to ride any street car in the city.

As president, Arthur surprised the nation by his honesty and efficiency. Outraged over dishonesty of some previous administrations in appointing officials to positions where they had no particular training or ability, Arthur caused Congress to pass the Civil Service Act. This meant to apply for a government job one must pass a test to show their skills and ability. It also protected them from losing their job when a president died.

When Arthur was president, the first skyscraper was built in Chicago, The U.S. celebrated the 100th anniversary of its independence, and standard time was adopted across the country.