Thread by @GarfieldNPS

By 1880, many Republicans believed the federal government had done all it could or should for African Americans by ending slavery and passing the so-called "Reconstruction amendments" to the Constitution. While some Republicans began to look toward industrialists and

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financiers as new allies, James A. Garfield-the party's presidential candidate-continued to speak up about civil rights issues & to insist that the Republican party remain true to its roots as a party working toward equality for all.

On Aug. 6, 1880-142 years ago today-

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candidate Garfield was in New York City. He spoke to a huge crowd of thousands from the balcony of Republican headquarters that evening & beautifully summarized what he believed the government should still do for black Americans-& why:

"Soon after the great struggle began,

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we looked behind the army of white rebels, and saw 4,000,000 of black people condemned to toil as slaves for our enemies; and we found that the hearts of these 4,000,000 were God-inspired with the spirit of Liberty, and that they were all our friends. We have seen white men

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betray the flag and fight to kill the Union; but in all that long, dreary war we never saw a traitor in a black skin. Our comrades escaping from the starvation of prison, fleeing to our lines by the light of the North star, never feared to enter the black man's cabin

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and ask for bread. In all that period of suffering and danger, no Union soldier was ever betrayed by a black man or woman.

And now that we have made them free, so long as we live we will stand by these black allies. We will stand by them until the sun of liberty, fixed in

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the firmament of our Constitution, shall shine with equal ray upon every man, black or white, throughout the Union."

#jamesagarfield #jamesagarfieldnhs #newyorkcity #presidentialcampaign #civilwar #equality #findyourpark

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