🔗 Share this article

For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief 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 support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. 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 multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield defeated 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 remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. 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 eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law