After the assassination of President A. Garfield on September 19, 1881 by disgruntled job seekers, the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act was passed by congress in 1883. The Act provides that federal government job seekers should be subjected to competitive exams and selections for employment made based merit, the law also prohibits the firing of an employee based on political reasons. The Act was signed into law by President Chester A. Arthur.
Dole declared Hawaii an independent republic. Spurred by the nationalism aroused by the Spanish-American War, the United States annexed Hawaii in 1898 at the urging of President William McKinley.
