Introduction

James Garfield was an intelligent and good-natured man who was affectionate with friends and family. A gifted orator and extremely ambitious, Garfield became a successful politician after the American Civil War (1861–65). Yet he never set out to be president and was genuinely stunned when he won the Republican nomination as a dark horse candidate and went on to win the presidency. Seen as a sober and honorable man who lacked the vision and imagination of a great leader, Garfield's true capabilities as president were never tested, as he was assassinated only months after his inauguration.