🔗 Share this article

For generations, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was cut short after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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