🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law