🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. 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 very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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