🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual 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 major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law