On this day in 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau—a former U-M student—leading to civil service reform after Garfield’s death.
TRANSCRIPT
When James A. Garfield was attacked on July 2, 1881, the nation was shocked, enraged, and captivated. President for just four months, Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau as he was about to board a train at the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C. Severely wounded, Garfield lingered until September 19. Guiteau was an unsuccessful lawyer, evangelist, insurance salesman, and former Wolverine from the University of Michigan who believed Garfield owed him a position in the US diplomatic corps, and that the president’s political decisions threatened to destroy the Republican Party of the time. Guiteau was convicted of murder and hanged on June 30, 1882. And a year later, Congress passed the Pendleton Act; to reform civil service and limit those looking for government jobs when their candidate wins, just like Charles Guiteau had done.