David Frum

James Garfield was elected in 1880.

He entered Congress during the Civil War.

And in the post-Civil War period, he retained a seat.

He represented the northeastern part of Cleveland near Lake Erie.

The Civil War left behind two great issues to face for the traumatized country.

The first was what to do for and about the population of freed slaves who had been subordinated, dehumanized, abused, who now were to be granted their freedom.

But what did that freedom mean and how was it to be made real?

The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery.

The 14th Amendment granted civil rights.

The 15th Amendment granted voting rights.

But those rights were often attacked by violence by the neighbors of the freed slaves.

And it was going to take a big military presence to continue to protect the slaves and their rights.

What was to be done about that?

How were they to be made full Americans?

Should they be made full Americans?

Should the rest of America undertake the costs and sacrifices necessary to make them full Americans?

Problem one.

Problem two.

Before the Civil War, the federal government of the United States was a very tiny and slapdash affair, but it didn't matter because the federal government didn't do much before the Civil War.

During the Civil War, the United States had become the most powerful military force on planet Earth.