🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. 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 proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law