🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

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

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. 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 looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon 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 thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law