On September 19, 1881, President James A. Garfield died in New Jersey from complications related to gunshot wounds he had suffered in July. His assassin, Charles Guiteau, had attacked him at a Washington, D.C., train station. Garfield survived for months while doctors attempted various treatments, some of which likely worsened his condition. Vice President Chester A. Arthur became president following Garfield’s death. The assassination helped spur civil service reforms, including the Pendleton Act, which aimed to reduce patronage and improve government professionalism.
