As James Garfield’s surprise presidential campaign got underway, he knew he didn’t have it in the bag. The Republican party was divided. The Democratic party was united. And there was some weirdo third-party candidate campaigning for an 8-hour workday. *I guess people don’t wanna work anymore!?*

The fact that many members of his party — including his own vice president — were, at best, mildly enthusiastic about his candidacy made his road to victory even less likely. And yet? A strange little man named Charles Guiteau campaigned hard for Garfield. He was convinced that he’d be rewarded for his efforts.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President,” by Candice Millard
The book, “Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield,” by Kenneth D. Ackerman
“Murder of a President” documentary and additional resources from PBS.org

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