🔗 Share this article

For generations, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income 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 wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and advanced to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, 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 supporter of his close associate 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, gentlemen of the convention, 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 shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements 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 forced into the role.”

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 influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, 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 rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

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

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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