🔗 Share this article

Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

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 hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, 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 seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. 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 clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law