🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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