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Primary sourceDocument25 January 1877

Signed Check by James A. Garfield

James A. Garfield · 25 January 1877

A personal bank check signed by Garfield while he served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio.

This check, signed by Garfield himself, shows his personal finances while he served in Congress.

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Scan of a bank-style counter check dated Washington, January 25, 1877, made out from the Sergeant-at-Arms of the U.S. House of Representatives to 'myself' or bearer for two hundred fifteen dollars and 44/100, signed 'J.A. Garfield' in cursive. A blue office stamp reads Jan 25 1876 (partly legible) on the right side.
James A. Garfield, signed check, 25 January 1877. National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

About this source

What it is

This is a bank counter check dated Washington, January 25, 1877, made out to 'myself or bearer' for two hundred fifteen dollars and 44/100, signed in cursive 'J.A. Garfield.' It is held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Why it matters

At the time he signed this check, Garfield was a sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio, years before he became president. Everyday documents like checks show the ordinary financial life behind a famous political career.

Look closer

  • What does the handwriting and signature tell you about the person who wrote it?
  • Why might a museum choose to preserve something as ordinary as a check?
  • What questions does this object leave unanswered about Garfield's daily life?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James A. Garfield on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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