Ambushed!: Chapters 1–3

by Gail Jarrow
In this nonfiction book, Gail Jarrow chronicles the life of James Garfield, detailing Garfield's early life, his rise to become the 20th president of the United States, and the events and aftermath of his assassination.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–7, Chapters 8–11, Chapters 12–16
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. assessment
    the act of judging a person or situation or event
    Charles imagined himself to be clever, handsome, and competent. Few people who knew him agreed with that assessment.
  2. fiasco
    a complete failure or collapse
    Taking a deep breath, Charles raised his ivory-handled pistol and aimed at James's back. What happened next changed history and resulted in one of America's most tragic medical fiascoes.
  3. distinguished
    standing above others in character or attainment
    “There is one country on the globe where a boy
 need not be born on the steps of the throne or in
 the seats of wealth to rise to distinguished place.”
  4. sparse
    not dense or plentiful
    Abram and Eliza Garfield farmed their land in sparsely populated Orange Township, not far from Lake Erie and Cleveland.
  5. strenuous
    characterized by or performed with much energy or force
    For another two months he didn't have the strength and stamina to do any of the strenuous physical labor his previous jobs required.
  6. seminary
    a private place of education for the young
    Along with two friends, he headed about ten miles away to Geauga Seminary, a school of 250 students run by the Free Will Baptist religious denomination. The curriculum included grammar, mental arithmetic, philosophy, geography, and algebra.
  7. saucy
    improperly forward or bold
    Punished S. Herrington severely for disobeying and being saucy.
  8. providence
    the guardianship and control exercised by a deity
    "By the providence of God I am what I am, and not a sailor,” he wrote a month before he turned nineteen.
  9. eclectic
    selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
    Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (called Hiram College after 1867) was in Hiram, Ohio, about twenty-five miles from his mother's home. The college had a more extensive and challenging curriculum than did the one at Geauga Seminary.
  10. proficient
    having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
    He became so proficient in his studies that, even before he graduated, he was hired to teach classes in Greek, Latin, algebra, and penmanship.
  11. rigorous
    strict; allowing no deviation from a standard
    But to reach great success in the world, James knew he needed a more rigorous college education.
  12. gregarious
    temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
    His gregarious nature and sense of humor earned him friends.
  13. eloquence
    powerful and effective language
    "His massive figure, commanding, self-confident manner, and magnificent bursts of fiery eloquence, won and held the attention of his audience from the moment he opened his lips."
  14. oust
    remove from a position or office
    But when the school's president was later ousted for incompetence, the trustees appointed Garfield to the position.
  15. trustee
    a member of a governing board
    But when the school's president was later ousted for incompetence, the trustees appointed Garfield to the position.
  16. contemplation
    a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
    "I have for some years had it in contemplation to enter the field of statesmanship,” he wrote in his diary, "...and if this plan succeeds I shall have gained a step in the direction of my purpose.”
  17. garrison
    a fortified military post where troops are stationed
    On April 12, 1861, Confederate cannons in Charleston, South Carolina, fired on the U.S. garrison at Fort Sumter in the harbor.
  18. turbulent
    characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
    While 1860 was a happy year for the Garfields because their first child, Eliza (nicknamed Trot), was born that July, it was a turbulent year for the nation.
  19. sanguinary
    accompanied by bloodshed
    "I can see nothing now before us but a long and sanguinary war.” Yet no matter how bloody the war might prove to be, he felt the obligation to join the fight "to stand by the country and sustain its authority."
  20. bane
    something causing misery or death
    "No one who sees the splendor and luxury of these wealthy planters' homes,” he wrote his wife, “can fail to see that the 'Peculiar Institution' has great claims for the rich and yet no one can fail to see that it is the poor man's bane.”
  21. bout
    a period of illness
    Disease brought down Garfield, too. He went through several bouts of dysentery.
  22. jaundice
    yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
    In the summer of 1862, he suffered from fever, diarrhea, extreme fatigue, and jaundice, losing more than forty pounds.
  23. lament
    regret strongly
    “I lament sorely that I was born to poverty,'' he once told a friend. Yet Garfield was optimistic about his future. "Poverty is very inconvenient,'' he later wrote, "but it is a fine spur to activity, and may be made a rich blessing."
  24. impotent
    lacking power or ability
    In a January 1865 speech in the House, Garfield said, “This body of slavery lies before us among the dead enemies of the republic, mortally wounded, impotent in its fiendish wickedness.”
  25. appropriation
    money set aside for a specific purpose, as by a legislature
    With the war over, Garfield moved to the Appropriations Committee, which monitored the government's finances and spending.
  26. constituent
    a citizen who is represented in a government by officials
    His constituents reelected him eight more times.
  27. tribunal
    an assembly to conduct judicial business
    Garfield continued to practice law, including an 1866 appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case involved Indiana citizens convicted by a military tribunal of conspiring to aid the Confederacy during the war.
  28. patronage
    granting favors in return for political support
    Under the patronage (or spoils) system, an election’s winning party filled thousands of positions.
  29. competence
    the quality of being adequately or well qualified
    A person's knowledge, skills, and competence were unimportant. Instead, political bosses awarded these jobs to friends and loyal associates who donated money or helped with the campaign.
  30. faction
    a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue
    During Grant's eight-year administration, from 1869 to 1877, tensions grew between two factions of the Republican party.
  31. beleaguer
    surround so as to force to give up
    Garfield was pleased when President Hayes attempted reforms to the spoils system, but Hayes had little success. The beleaguered president decided not to run for a second term.
  32. unprecedented
    novel; having no earlier occurrence
    Roscoe Conkling and the Stalwarts supported former President Grant for an unprecedented third term.
  33. imposing
    impressive in appearance
    Conkling (1829–1888), a lawyer, served in the House of Representatives before joining the Senate in 1867. At six foot three inches tall, he intimidated both enemies and allies with his imposing stature and sharp tongue.
  34. raucous
    disturbing the public peace; loud and rough
    Delegates were deeply divided by the rift in the party, and the convention floor was raucous and loud.
  35. delegation
    a group of representatives
    James Garfield went to the convention as part of the Ohio delegation and gave a speech nominating fellow Ohioan Sherman.
  36. garner
    acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions
    Neither Grant, Blaine, nor Sherman garnered enough votes to earn the nomination.
  37. adjourn
    break from a meeting or gathering
    The exhausted delegates adjourned for the day.
  38. dark horse
    a candidate who is not well known but could win unexpectedly
    When Garfield arrived in Chicago, he didn't expect to leave as the presidential candidate. He had become the convention's surprise dark horse.
  39. leniency
    lightening a penalty or excusing from a chore
    Democrats were popular among White southerners because the party had pushed for leniency toward the Confederacy and had supported efforts to deny former slaves the vote.
  40. decisive
    determining or having the power to determine an outcome
    Garfield was confident that he had taken the majority in enough states to win decisively in the Electoral College.
Created on Mon May 02 12:54:32 EDT 2022 (updated Fri May 06 15:09:15 EDT 2022)

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