Political appointments in the United States federal government until 1883. In 1820 Congress limited federal administrators to four-year terms, which led to constant turnover; by the 1860s and the Civil War, patronage had led to widespread inefficiency and political corruption. Although it used to be confined to cabinet positions, department heads, and foreign ambassadorships, by the 1860s patronage had spread to low-level government positions. This meant that when the incumbent political party lost a presidential election, the federal government underwent wholesale turnover. On July 2, 1881, Charles J. Guiteau, a disaffected and mentally unstable political office seeker, assassinated President James Garfield. This highlighted how much the
Mapuche uprising of 1881 occupied parts suffered many abuses and even murder by settlers and Chilean military. One of the most notable cases was the murder of Domingo Melín in 1880 by elements of the Chilean military. In January 1881 the Mapuches of the Malleco zone rose against the Chilean occupation. The town and forts of Traiguén, Lumaco and Collipulli were attacked. In response the Chilean state launched a massive campaign not only to defend forts and settlements but also to push the frontier all the way from Malleco River to Cautín River. Interior minister Manuel Recabarren was appointed by president Aníbal Pinto to