The Assassination of James Garfield: How a President Survived the Bullet but Died Anyway
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Most Americans know Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, but far fewer remember James Garfield.
Yet Garfield’s death may be one of the most bizarre and tragic stories in presidential history.
On July 2, 1881, just four months after taking office, President James Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau inside Washington’s Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. The attack shocked the nation and launched one of the strangest chapters in American history.
Because the bullet wasn’t actually what killed him.
In this week’s two-part episode of This Feels Criminal, we examine the James Garfield assassination, the obsessed man who pulled the trigger, and the medical disaster that followed.
In this Episode We Break Down:
- James Garfield’s unlikely rise from poverty to the White House
- Why Charles Guiteau believed the president owed him a political appointment
- The shooting inside a Washington train station
- The doctor who tried to stop a deadly mistake
- Why early medicine may have done more harm than the gunshot
- Alexander Graham Bell’s surprising connection to the case
- The bizarre behavior of Charles Guiteau before and after the assassination
- One of the most famous insanity-defense trials in American history
- The trial that turned into a national spectacle
- Why pieces of Guiteau’s brain still exist today
Listen to the Full Episode
Our two-part breakdown explores:
- The assassination itself
- Charles Guiteau’s obsession with power
- Garfield’s final eighty days
- The insanity defense
- The trial and execution
- The strange legacy left behind
Listen to Part 1
Listen to Part 2
Who Was James Garfield?
Before becoming America’s 20th president, James Garfield was a canal worker, teacher, minister, Civil War general, congressman, and one of the most intellectually gifted presidents in American history. He rose from poverty in Ohio to the White House through education, military service, and politics.
His presidency, however, lasted only four months.
Why Was James Garfield Assassinated?
The man responsible was Charles Guiteau, a failed lawyer, failed preacher, failed newspaper publisher, and self-described political supporter who believed he deserved a prestigious government appointment after Garfield’s election victory.
Guiteau became convinced that he had personally helped Garfield win the presidency.
When that imagined reward never arrived, his obsession turned deadly.
How Did James Garfield Die?
This is where the story becomes extraordinary.
After being shot on July 2, 1881, Garfield initially survived. The bullets did not immediately cause a fatal injury.
What followed was nearly eighty days of painful treatment as doctors repeatedly searched for the bullet using unsterilized fingers and instruments. At the time, many American physicians had not fully embraced modern germ theory.
The resulting infection spread throughout Garfield’s body.
Most historians now believe that sepsis and infection, not the gunshot wound itself, ultimately caused his death on September 19, 1881.
It remains one of the most famous examples of medical malpractice in American history.
The Doctor History Forgot
One of the most fascinating figures in the story is Dr. Charles Burleigh Purvis.
Purvis became the first Black physician to treat a sitting U.S. president and reportedly warned against the dangerous practices being used on Garfield. His concerns were largely ignored as other physicians took control of the case.
His role has become an important part of the historical discussion surrounding Garfield’s death.
The Charles Guiteau Trial
If the assassination shocked the country, the trial stunned it.
Charles Guiteau spent much of the proceedings insulting lawyers, witnesses, jurors, and even the judge. He argued with his own defense team, sang songs in court, delivered rambling speeches, and insisted he was acting under divine instruction.
The case became one of America’s earliest major tests of the insanity defense.
It also became one of the most bizarre criminal trials ever held.
Why This Story Still Matters
The James Garfield assassination changed American politics, presidential security, and public discussions surrounding mental illness.
It also serves as a reminder that medical science was undergoing enormous changes during the late nineteenth century.
Had Garfield been treated differently, many historians believe he may have survived.
That possibility is what makes the story so haunting nearly 150 years later.
Key Takeaways
- James Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881, only four months into his presidency.
- Charles Guiteau believed he deserved a political appointment and blamed Garfield when he did not receive one.
- Garfield survived the shooting but died 80 days later from infection and complications.
- Dr. Charles Burleigh Purvis was the first Black physician to treat a sitting U.S. president.
- The Charles Guiteau trial became one of the most famous insanity-defense cases in American history.
- Historians widely believe Garfield might have survived with modern medical treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions About James Garfield’s Assassination
Charles Guiteau shot President James Garfield on July 2, 1881, at a Washington train station.
Guiteau believed Garfield owed him a government appointment and became increasingly obsessed after being rejected.
Although he survived the initial shooting, Garfield later died from infection and sepsis caused by complications during treatment.
Garfield lived for approximately 80 days after the assassination attempt.
The trial was a highly publicized murder case that focused heavily on whether Guiteau was legally insane at the time of the assassination.
Yes. Charles Guiteau was executed by hanging on June 30, 1882.
No. Presidents did not receive the kind of dedicated security protection that exists today.
Most historians and medical experts believe Garfield likely would have survived with modern surgical techniques, antibiotics, and infection control.
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