Introduction
There has been a total of four U.S. Presidents assassinated while in office. When people think of presidential assassinations they tend to think of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, but what if the most impactful murder was actually that of James A. Garfield? During the time that proceeded the death of Garfield, medical advancements and social changes flourished as a result of his death and the prosecution of his killer.
I propose that the 1881 assassination of President James A. Garfield and the trial of his assassin Charles Guiteau, incited medicinal revolution in mental health and the confirmation of germ theory, beginning debates that remain controversial centuries later. Additionally, while authors such as Ira Rutkow in his book “James A. Garfield,” have affirmed this theory, he fails to consider vital sources that illuminate the full depth his murder and the accompanying trial had on mental and culture.