Augustus Hill Garland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Augustus Garland
38th United States Attorney General
In office March 6, 1885 – March 4, 1889
President	Grover Cleveland
Preceded by	Benjamin H. Brewster
Succeeded by	William H. H. Miller
United States Senator from Arkansas
In office March 4, 1877 – March 6, 1885
Preceded by	Powell Clayton
Succeeded by	James Henderson Berry
11th Governor of Arkansas
In office November 12, 1874 – January 11, 1877
Preceded by	Elisha Baxter
Succeeded by	William Read Miller
Confederate States Senator from Arkansas
In office November 8, 1864 – May 10, 1865
Preceded by	Charles B. Mitchel
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of the Confederate House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd district
In office February 18, 1862 – November 8, 1864
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	David Carroll
Delegate to the Confederate States Provisional Congress from Arkansas
In office May 18, 1861 – February 17, 1862
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	Augustus Hill Garland (1832-06-11)June 11, 1832 Covington, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	January 26, 1899(1899-01-26) (aged 66) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Mount Holly Cemetery
Political party	Whig (before 1855) American (1855–1859) Constitutional Union (1859–1860) Democratic (1860–1899)
Education	St. Mary's College, Kentucky St. Joseph's College, Kentucky (BA)
Signature

Augustus Hill Garland (June 11, 1832 – January 26, 1899) was an important American lawyer and politician from Arkansas. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Garland held many high positions during his life. He served in both houses of the Congress of the Confederate States and the United States Senate. He also became the 11th Governor of Arkansas (1874-1877). Later, he was the 38th Attorney General of the United States (1885-1889).

Early Life and Education

Augustus Garland was born in Covington, Tennessee on June 11, 1832. His parents were Rufus and Barbara Garland. When he was young, his family moved to Arkansas.

Garland went to Spring Hill Male Academy from 1838 to 1843. He then attended St. Mary's College and graduated from St. Joseph's College in 1849. After college, he taught at Brownstown School. He later returned home to study law.

In 1853, Garland became a lawyer. He started his law practice with his stepfather. He moved to Little Rock in 1856. There, he became a very well-known lawyer. He even argued cases before the highest court, the Supreme Court of the United States, starting in 1860.

Starting in Politics

Garland was involved in politics from the 1850s. He supported the Whig and "American" parties. In the 1860 presidential election, he supported the Constitutional Union Party.

American Civil War Period

When Abraham Lincoln became president, many Southern states left the United States. Garland did not want Arkansas to leave the Union. He spoke against it at a meeting in Little Rock.

However, after Lincoln asked Arkansas to send troops to fight the Southern states, Garland changed his mind. He then supported Arkansas joining the Confederacy. His older brother, Rufus Garland, even led a Confederate army company.

Serving the Confederacy

Garland was chosen to be part of the Provisional Confederate Congress. Later, he was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives in 1861. He worked on important committees there. In 1864, he was appointed to the Confederate States Senate. He supported President Jefferson Davis. Garland returned to Arkansas in early 1865. He wanted to help Arkansas rejoin the Union as the war was ending.

After the War

After the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson pardoned Garland in 1865. However, Garland was not allowed to practice law again without taking a special oath. This oath was required for former Confederate officials.

A Big Court Case

Garland challenged this rule in a famous court case called Ex parte Garland. He argued that the law was unfair and unconstitutional. In 1867, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with him. This decision was very important for many former Confederates.

Return to Arkansas Politics

Augustus H. Garland (c. 1870)

In 1867, Arkansas lawmakers chose Garland to be a U.S. Senator. But he could not take his seat because Arkansas had not yet fully rejoined the Union. Garland continued his law practice. He also helped start the Southern Historical Society in 1869.

In 1872, Garland became a key helper for Governor Elisha Baxter during a state conflict. He also helped write the new state constitution. With strong support, he was elected Governor of Arkansas.

Governor of Arkansas

Garland faced many challenges as Governor. The state had a large debt of $17 million. He worked with a finance board to greatly reduce this debt in just two years.

Garland also strongly supported education. He pushed for schools for the blind and deaf. He helped improve the Arkansas Industrial University, which is now the University of Arkansas. He also helped create the Branch Normal College, now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. This school made education available for African-American students.

Serving in Washington, D.C.

United States Senate

In 1876, Garland was elected to the United States Senate. He was re-elected in 1883. As a Senator, he worked on important issues. These included reforming taxes, improving national transportation, and regulating trade between states. He also supported a federal prison system and help for education.

Attorney General of the United States

In 1885, Garland resigned from the Senate. He accepted the job of Attorney General of the United States. This was offered by the new President, Grover Cleveland. Garland was the first person from Arkansas to join a President's cabinet.

Soon after taking office, Garland faced a political issue. He had been involved with a telephone company before becoming Attorney General. This company was being sued by the Bell Telephone Company. Garland was asked to file a lawsuit against Bell to break their control over telephone technology. He did not want to do this. However, while he was on vacation, the Solicitor General authorized the lawsuit.

This led to a long investigation by Congress. Despite the difficulties, President Cleveland continued to support Garland. In 1886, Garland became the first cabinet secretary to be officially criticized by Congress. This happened because he did not provide documents about the firing of a U.S. Attorney.

Later Life and Death

When President Cleveland lost his re-election in 1888, Garland left office in 1889. He went back to practicing law in Washington, D.C.. He also wrote several books about law and the U.S. Constitution.

On January 26, 1899, Garland was arguing a case before the Supreme Court. He suffered a stroke and passed away a few hours later. He was buried in Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Legacy

Several places are named after Augustus Garland. These include Garland County, Arkansas, and the cities of Garland, Texas and Garland, North Carolina.

See also

• List of Confederate States senators
• List of governors of Arkansas
• List of people from Tennessee
• List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States
• List of United States senators from Arkansas