🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle 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 prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures 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 occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill 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 drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law