Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”
This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.
The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.
“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”
Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.
He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.
“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”
Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.
“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. 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 a powerful politician, who supported a third term 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 seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”
On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.
“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”
The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.
The conflict became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.
But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a background of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.
“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”
But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.
Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.
On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.
Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law
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