🔗 Share this article

Over many years, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. 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 surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict 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 prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, 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 reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law