🔗 Share this article

Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for 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 central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law