🔗 Share this article

Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant 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 third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters 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 presidential race Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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