History Happy Hour: James Garfield—The Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President

History Happy Hour is a weekly virtual program hosted by the White House Historical Association. Join us as experts weigh in on a variety of historical topics, share their insights, answer audience questions, and enjoy presidential-inspired libations.

James Abram Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired reformist congressman. Nominated for president against his will, he engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupt political establishment. But four months after his inauguration, a deranged office seeker tracked Garfield down and shot him in the back. But the shot didn't kill Garfield. The drama of what happened subsequently is a powerful story of a nation in turmoil.

Join Candice Millard, New York Times best-selling author of Destiny of the Republic: The Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President where she will explore this turbulent moment in our nation’s history.