🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now led to a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

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

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race 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 remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about 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 insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure 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 importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

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

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had deserved a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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