🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited 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 walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law