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James A. Garfield

Presidency

What ended Garfield’s presidency so early?

A strange man named Charles Julius Guiteau ended Garfield’s presidency by shooting him in Elberton, New Jersey, on July 2, 1881. Guiteau, a member of the Stalwart wing of the Republican Party, had supported Garfield during the presidential election. He somehow thought that his support merited him an appointment of an ambassador position. The administration politely rejected Guiteau, which sent him into a rage. He began stalking the president for a couple months and finally got the nerve to follow through with his murderous intentions. Guiteau claimed that he had killed Garfield to “unite the Republican Party and save the Republic.”



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