🔗 Share this article

For generations, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president 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 legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

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

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“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 completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role 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 that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law