Historedia
AmericasEvent

Assassination of James A. Garfield: shot by Charles J. Guiteau in Washington, D.C.

When
1881–1882
Where
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station; Elberon, New Jersey; District of Columbia jail
Episodes
3

President James A. Garfield was shot by lawyer Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881, in Washington, D.C. Guiteau, a delusional office seeker, believed he deserved a diplomatic post for his campaign support. Garfield died on September 19, 1881, from septic shock caused by the wound's infection. Guiteau was convicted in January 1882 and executed in June 1882.

Episodes

  1. July 2, 1881 · Baltimore and Potomac Railroad StationAssassination

    Guiteau shot Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C., on July 2, 1881, as the president prepared for vacation.

  2. September 19, 1881 · Elberon, New JerseyDeath

    Garfield died on September 19, 1881, in Elberon, New Jersey, from septic shock resulting from the shooting.

  3. January 25 - June 30, 1882 · District of Columbia jailTrial and Execution

    Guiteau was convicted of murder in January 1882 and executed by hanging in June 1882.

Background and detail

Background. Charles J. Guiteau was a mentally ill office seeker who distributed a speech supporting Garfield in the 1880 election. He arrived in Washington, D.C., in March 1881, expecting a consular appointment. After Secretary of State Blaine rebuffed his final request on May 14, 1881, Guiteau remained destitute in Washington. He knew Garfield would leave the city for a cooler climate on July 2, 1881, and made plans to kill him before that departure.

The Shooting. On July 2, 1881, Garfield was scheduled to leave Washington for summer vacation. Guiteau, alerted by newspaper reports, waited at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. He shot Garfield, then engaged a cab to turn himself in. Guiteau was caught immediately after the incident, which occurred in Washington, D.C.

Death and Legal Outcome. Garfield died on September 19, 1881, in Elberon, New Jersey, from septic shock, sepsis, pneumonia, and a ruptured spleen. Guiteau was indicted in October 1881. Despite claims of divine inspiration, he was convicted of murder in January 1882 and executed by hanging in June 1882.

People involved

Sources

  1. Assassination of James A. Garfield Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-04
  2. Charles J. Guiteau Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-05
  3. James A. Garfield Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-06

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.