🔗 Share this article

Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, including a talented performer as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was 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 parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

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

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare 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 major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield declined, 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 dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

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

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