🔗 Share this article

Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy 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 legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. 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 was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena 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 faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “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, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position 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 selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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