Podcast Summary — "Who Was James Garfield?", History As It Happens

Host: Martin Di Caro
Guest: Jeremy Suri, historian and author
Date: December 16, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delves into the life, political context, and brief presidency of James Garfield—the 20th President of the United States, whose assassination dramatically altered late 19th-century American politics. The discussion uses the hit Netflix miniseries Death by Lightning as a springboard to explore Garfield's real legacy and the wider historical forces at play in the tumultuous post-Reconstruction "Gilded Age." Historian Jeremy Suri provides insight into the era's political factions, corruption, civil rights struggles, party infighting, and the assassination that cut short Garfield's potential.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Overlooked 1880s: A "Not Pretty" Period

• Historical Blind Spot ([04:30])
  • Jeremy Suri: Most Americans know little about the period after Reconstruction but before Theodore Roosevelt, in part because "it's not a pretty period... there aren't easy good guys and bad guys... the presidential figures... don't amount to too much."
  • The era is associated with "corruption," "violence," and "massive inequalities." Many skip over it because it lacks clear heroes.

2. State of the Nation in 1880

• Transition & Inequality ([05:29])
  • The US was shifting from agriculture to industrialization. While some (notably in New York) prospered, many Americans, especially immigrants and workers, struggled.
  • Urban corruption ("party bosses") provided back-door support to marginalized groups but at the cost of pervasive graft.

3. Corruption as Both Norm and Necessity

• Pervasive Patronage ([07:00])
  • Corruption "was evident, it was pervasive" due to poor government salaries and lack of resources. Bribery and kickbacks were the rule.
  • Yet, ethnic political machines sometimes provided real services for immigrants who had nowhere else to turn.
• Notable Quote
  • Jeremy Suri [07:22]: "There’s also a positive side to corruption... many corrupt officials... were corrupt in demanding things from people, but also providing services in return."

4. The Netflix Series: History Meets Entertainment

• Death by Lightning captures the tone and some key facts, but modernizes dialogue ([08:14]). Suri appreciates its attention to history:
  • “It gives you a feel for the period. It also captures the importance of James Garfield... not because of what he does as president, but for how he becomes president.” ([08:40])

5. James Garfield: Background and Mythbusting

• Who Was James Garfield? ([09:59])
  • Raised himself through ministry, teaching, and political action. Embodies "small town Republican" values, skeptical of both slavery and big business.
  • Contrary to the show, Garfield did harbor ambition; he didn't merely stumble into the presidency ([10:54]).
  • He was chosen as the Republican nominee primarily as a compromise after a deadlocked convention between the Grant/Conkling "stalwarts" and other factions, not just because of a speech ([11:58]).

6. Political Factions & Party Infighting

• Stalwarts vs. Half-Breeds ([16:57])
  • Stalwarts: Led by Roscoe Conkling in NY, prioritized capitalism, corporate interests, patronage, and tariffs (big government for economic development, less interest in civil rights) ([18:15]).
  • Half-Breeds: Midwesterners and others holding on to "small town" Republican values, skeptical of concentrated wealth, somewhat more supportive of civil rights but without making it central ([19:03]).
  • Garfield aligned more with Half-Breeds but was not a true radical.

7. Civil Rights, Post-Reconstruction, and Westward Expansion

• By 1880, even moderate Republicans (like Garfield) were less focused on enforcing civil rights in the South versus spending federal resources on westward expansion and economic growth.
• Notable Garfield quote ([15:28]; from Suri's book):
  • "So far as my authority can lawfully extend, African Americans shall enjoy the full and equal protection of the Constitution and the laws."
  • Reality: Garfield’s hands were tied by party and public disinterest; he could not enforce civil rights as Grant had ([16:00]).

8. Patronage System & the Drive for Reform

• Fee-Based Government & Revenue Sources ([22:43], [23:05])
  • No federal income tax; government ran on customs, tariffs, and land sales—so cash was tight. Patronage jobs and fee-based services filled the gap.
• Pendleton Act & Civil Service Reform ([23:36])
  • Garfield's assassination was a direct catalyst for civil service reform. The Pendleton Act (signed posthumously under Arthur) began the shift from patronage to merit, notably in the Foreign Service.

9. The Tragedy of Charles Guiteau & "Hangers On"

• Who Was Guiteau? ([25:53])
  • A delusional, failed opportunist, convinced of his own greatness and entitlement to a government job.
  • The openness of the patronage system allowed individuals like Guiteau access to the President. His mental illness and sense of grievance led him to assassinate Garfield.
  • "He convinced himself... once he talked to Garfield, Garfield would give him a job. When Garfield didn’t... he was convinced that if he killed Garfield, Arthur would give him a job." ([26:11])

10. The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

• The Shooting and Aftermath ([28:32])
  • Guiteau shot Garfield at close range in a train station. The assassination was shocking, partly because Lincoln’s earlier assassination was seen as a one-off.
  • Garfield lingered in agony for 80 days, ultimately dying from infection due to unsanitary medical practices—not the bullet ([30:03], [30:47]).
  • Memorable quote:
    • Jeremy Suri [30:50]: “Not only did he die unnecessarily, he was in agony, and the country was in agony because this was chronicled.”
    • Doctors rejected new (European) findings about sterilization and contributed directly to his death.

11. Garfield’s Legacy and Modern Parallels

• What Might Have Been/What Matters ([32:05])
  • Garfield represents the possibility of decency and reform during a corrupt era; his tenure may have been a lost opportunity.
  • “He was an uncorrupt man in a corrupt time. And that’s what we need to remember.” ([32:51])
• Relevance to Today ([33:19])
  • Corruption, political violence, and the importance of individual agency remain resonant.
  • "Individuals matter. And it’s a good reminder to us... it can change. Elections still matter." ([34:10])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the forgotten 1880s:
  • “It’s not a pretty period. There aren’t easy good guys and bad guys...” — Jeremy Suri, [04:47]
• On corruption’s dual edge:
  • “Corruption was evident... in part because that’s often how people made their living... there’s also a positive side to corruption...” — Jeremy Suri, [07:07]
• On the patronage system:
  • “All it did was allow for more concentration of wealth... Chester Arthur and the New York Custom House...” — Jeremy Suri, [20:31]
• On Garfield’s presidency:
  • “He was an uncorrupt man in a corrupt time. And that’s what we need to remember.” — Jeremy Suri, [32:51]
• On the importance of individuals:
  • “Individuals matter... our country would be different today if Donald Trump were not president. And our country would have been different in 1881, 1882... if Garfield had lived.” — Jeremy Suri, [34:10]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:30] — Why the post-Reconstruction period is overlooked
• [05:43] — Gilded Age society: success for a few, struggle for many
• [07:00] — Corruption as the “norm”
• [09:59] — Who was Garfield? Debunking the myth of him as a purely reluctant nominee
• [16:27] — Party infighting: stalwarts vs. half-breeds
• [18:15] — The economic vision of the "stalwarts"
• [22:43] — Fee-based government and lack of income tax
• [23:36] — The Pendleton Act and the start of civil service reform
• [25:53] — The psychology and background of Charles Guiteau
• [28:32] — The assassination: surprising, tragic, and illustrative of security lapses
• [30:03] — Medical mishandling: the real cause of Garfield’s death
• [32:05] — Garfield’s legacy as “an uncorrupt man in a corrupt time”
• [33:19] — Connecting Garfield’s era to today’s issues of corruption and the possibility of change

Conclusion

This episode celebrates Garfield not for actions as president—his tenure being tragically cut short—but for what he represented: a rare honesty and hope for reform in an era marred by corruption and inequality. Martin Di Caro and Jeremy Suri paint Garfield as a lost opportunity—an individual whose integrity stood as a counterpoint to his age and as a reminder that individuals can matter, even amidst larger structural forces. The conversation is rich in historical detail, skeptical of easy hero-making, and deeply relevant to contemporary listeners concerned about corruption, political dysfunction, and the role of character in public life.