The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:
*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the assassination and trial *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "This is not murder. It is a political necessity. It will make my friend Arthur president, and save the republic. … I leave my justification to God and the American people." – Charles Guiteau In 1880, Civil War veteran James Garfield was running as a Republican for president, and one of his supporters was a man named Charles Guiteau, who wrote and circulated a speech called “Garfield vs. Hancock” that aimed to rally support for the Republican candidate. Though few knew it, Guiteau’s family had already deemed him insane and attempted to keep him committed in an asylum, only to have him manage an escape from confinement. Garfield went on to narrowly edge Winfield Scott Hancock in the election, and Guiteau, harboring delusions of grandeur, believed he had helped tip the scales in Garfield’s favor. As such, he believed that he was entitled to a post in Garfield’s nascent administration, perhaps even an ambassadorship, and he continued to rack up debts while operating under the assumption that he would soon have the government salary to pay them back. However, despite lobbying around Republican headquarters in New York City and even approaching Cabinet members, no post was forthcoming for the troubled man. Eventually, in May 1881, Secretary of State James Blaine told him to never show up again. Enraged by the perceived slight, Guiteau bought a revolver and plotted to kill the president. He got his chance on July 2, 1881 at a railroad station, shooting Garfield in the back twice and bragging to the authorities, "I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts...Arthur is president now!" In reality, Garfield would live for nearly 3 more months, and the poor standards of medical care in the 1880s would end up being responsible for the fact he did not survive wounds that he would’ve survived at the end of the 19th century. Indeed, Guiteau would cite medical malpractice at trial, stating, "I deny the killing, if your honor please. We admit the shooting." Those kinds of statements and his generally odd behavior helped ensure Guiteau’s lawyers would claim he was insane, one of the first high profile attempts to use that as a defense against a crime. However, that never had much chance of succeeding, and claims of insanity were heartily rejected by prosecutors. George Corkhill, a D.C. district attorney and member of the prosecuting team, insisted, He's no more insane than I am. There's nothing of the mad about Guiteau: he's a cool, calculating blackguard, a polished ruffian, who has gradually prepared himself to pose in this way before the world. He was a deadbeat, pure and simple. Finally, he got tired of the monotony of deadbeating. He wanted excitement of some other kind and notoriety... and he got it.” Throughout his trial, which was all but a foregone conclusion, Guiteau kept up the bizarre antics, including singing in the court, passing notes back and forth with members of the crowd watching the trial, and even openly planning his own 1884 presidential campaign. Of course, those plans were all for naught, because after he was convicted in January 1882, Guiteau was hanged on June 30 of that year. To the end, Guiteau acted oddly, including dancing his way up to the scaffold and reciting a poem he had written as his last words before he met his fate at the gallows. Garfield was the 2nd president to be assassinated after Abraham Lincoln, and today he is often remembered as one of the presidents to die in office after being elected every 20 years starting with William Henry Harrison’s 1840 election through John F. Kennedy’s 1960 election. The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President’s Death chronicles the shooting and its aftermath.

The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death by Charles River Editors

From reader reviews:

Therese McGaha:

Book is to be different per grade. Book for children till adult are different content. As it is known to us that book is very important usually. The book The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death was making you to know about other know-how and of course you can take more information. It is rather advantages for you. The book The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death is not only giving you considerably more new information but also to be your friend when you truly feel bored. You can spend your own personal spend time to read your reserve. Try to make relationship with the book The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death. You never experience lose out for everything in case you read some books.

Thomas Rinaldi:

The experience that you get from The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death could be the more deep you rooting the information that hide inside words the more you get thinking about reading it. It does not mean that this book is hard to understand but The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death giving you enjoyment feeling of reading. The author conveys their point in particular way that can be understood by means of anyone who read this because the author of this publication is well-known enough. This book also makes your own personal vocabulary increase well. So it is easy to understand then can go along, both in printed or e-book style are available. We propose you for having this specific The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death instantly.

Larry Davis:

This book untitled The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death to be one of several books that best seller in this year, here is because when you read this publication you can get a lot of benefit on it. You will easily to buy this specific book in the book retail outlet or you can order it by means of online. The publisher of the book sells the e-book too. It makes you quicker to read this book, because you can read this book in your Cell phone. So there is no reason for you to past this guide from your list.

Rosalie Dietrich:

This The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death is completely new way for you who has interest to look for some information since it relief your hunger details. Getting deeper you into it getting knowledge more you know or else you who still having bit of digest in reading this The Assassination of President James Garfield: The History and Legacy of the President's Death can be the light food in your case because the information inside this kind of book is easy to get simply by anyone. These books acquire itself in the form that is certainly reachable by anyone, that's why I mean in the e-book application form. People who think that in reserve form make them feel sleepy even dizzy this e-book is the answer. So there is no in reading a e-book especially this one. You can find actually looking for. It should be here for a person. So , don't miss the item! Just read this e-book sort for your better life in addition to knowledge.