How a British Subject Became President of the United States


Read by Kevin W. Davidson

(3.5 stars; 3 reviews)

In 1880, the New York Times reported a curious story from St. Albans, Vermont, about a mysterious figure, an attorney and Democratic operative named A. P. Hinman. Hinman privately told local Democratic leaders that he had been hired by the Democratic National Committee to obtain evidence that Vice-President-elect Chester A. Arthur was not qualified to hold the office of Vice President, but rather that Arthur was a Canadian-born alien. President Garfield was assassinated in 1881 and Arthur became twenty first President of the United States, and a pretty good one by all accounts. Hinman published this book in 1884 to prevent Arthur's re-election, unaware of Arthur's real secret, that he was dying, and would not seek re-election. This is a conspiracy theory about presidential eligibility that could have come from today's newspapers. - Summary by Kevin Davidson (2 hr 20 min)

Chapters

To the Citizens of the United States 28:45 Read by Kevin W. Davidson
Custom House Investigations 16:26 Read by Kevin W. Davidson
Letters 24:49 Read by Kevin W. Davidson
Extracts Town Records of Fairfield, Vermont 33:40 Read by Kevin W. Davidson
The Death Struggle 36:41 Read by Kevin W. Davidson

Reviews


(3.5 stars)

Interesting process of proof via the use of letters of correspondence to author Hinman. While not all accounts agree with one another the majority seem to be without bias that the President was not born in Fairfield. The interesting possibility that President Arthur took the name of his deceased older sibling raises many questions as to character. It is well settled that President Arthur was an active member of the Port of New York corruption.