🔗 Share this article

For generations, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict 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 declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law