First International Conference of American States And so, as Secretary of State, Blaine sent invitations to all the nations of the Hemisphere to come to Washington in November 1881 with the principal goal of considering and discussing methods to prevent war between the nations of the Hemisphere. But destiny intervened: President Garfield was assassinated on 19 September 1881 and the new President Chester A. Arthur, who was no friend of Blaine's, quickly removed him from the State Department. Shortly afterward, the Conference invitations were withdrawn on the grounds that the unsettled situation at home and abroad would make such an event impossible. Now a private citizen,
English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1881–82 English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1881–82 The 1881–82 Australia v England Test series was part of a first-class cricket tour of Australia, New Zealand and the United States by an England team led by Alfred Shaw. The four matches between Australia and the England team were later classified as Test matches, but are included in The Ashes which began later in 1882. The English tourists also played three other first-class matches in Australia. The team travelled across the Atlantic first and played five matches in the USA during October. Their first match in Australia began on