🔗 Share this article

For generations, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration 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 appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded 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 fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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