🔗 Share this article

For generations, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “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 shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual 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 thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

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

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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