🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the historical drama, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “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, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. 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 finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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