The tragic murder of forgotten US President James Garfield

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Murkowski’s key task was to examine Millard’s detailed research into the history of assassinations and construct a story that would appeal to television audiences. The Fate of the Republic includes sections on Republican factionalism, British surgeon Joseph Lister’s preferred disinfectant, and the invention of Alexander Graham Bell’s early metal detector, which was eventually used to search for the bullet in Garfield’s body. Murkowski chose to focus on the contrasting journeys of Guiteau and Garfield. “Both men were very concerned about name recognition,” he said. “Some push themselves to the highest positions in their land; others strive for greatness but never achieve it.”

criminal’s motive

Guiteau had a series of failures as a lawyer, journalist, and evangelical preacher. He also failed in the free love commune he joined. As Millard tells it, no woman slept with him. But he always believed that God had a grand purpose for him. Guiteau became enamored with Garfield after his unexpected nomination, and traveled to New York in the summer of 1880, determined to play a key role in securing his victory in the general election. Mr. Guiteau harassed staff at Mr. Garfield’s New York campaign office until he was allowed one rambling speech in support of the candidate.

Garfield was a vocal opponent of the spoils system, which distributed favorable positions to supporters, but Guiteau was a strong believer in the system. He expected that in exchange for his support, Garfield, now president, would give him an important position. Ambassador to France was his first choice. The deceived man traveled to Washington and appeared daily at the White House along with hordes of other persistent job seekers. Guiteau once met his hero in the Oval Office, where he handed Garfield a copy of his campaign speech with “Paris Consulship” scrawled on it and a line connecting those words to his name.

Meanwhile, Garfield has embarked on an ambitious agenda for his presidency, including strengthening the U.S. Navy, expanding trade with Latin America, and championing civil rights. He appointed social reformer Frederick Douglass, a former slave, as recorder of deeds for the District of Columbia, making him the first African American to hold a prominent federal position. At the same time, Garfield also had to confront Roscoe Conkling, a Republican senator from New York who was perhaps the most influential politician in the nation, thanks to his indirect control over the vast amount of customs revenue flowing into the Port of New York. Conkling did not like Garfield’s progressive instincts or his opposition to the loot system. He had already pushed Garfield to make his colleague Chester A. Arthur his vice president. Now, Conkling tried to block Garfield from being elected to the Cabinet.