Family and childhood
James Gillespie Blaine was born January 31, 1830, in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania, the third child of Ephraim Lyon Blaine and his wife Maria (Gillespie) Blaine. He had two … See more

Mulligan letters
Blaine entered the 1876 presidential campaign as the favorite, but his chances were almost immediately harmed by the emergence of a … See more

Blaine was appointed to the Senate on July 10, 1876, but did not begin his duties there until the Senate convened in December of that year. While in the Senate, he served on the Appropriations Committee and held the chairmanship of the See more

Foreign policy initiatives
Blaine saw presiding over the cabinet as a chance to preside over the Washington social scene, as … See more

Elected to the House
Blaine had considered running for the United States House of Representatives from Maine's 4th district in 1860, but agreed to step aside when See more

Hayes had announced early in his presidency that he would not seek another term, which meant that the contest for the Republican nomination in 1880 was open to all challengers—including Blaine. Blaine was among the early favorites for the nomination, as were … See more

Nomination
In the months leading up to the 1884 convention, Blaine was once more considered the favorite for the nomination, but President Arthur was contemplating a run for election in his own right. George Edmunds was … See more