United States
On July 2, 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau at a Washington, D.C., train station. Garfield had served only a few months in office when the attack occurred. The assassin was a disgruntled office-seeker who believed he had been unfairly denied a government position. Garfield survived the initial shooting but suffered from infections and poor medical treatment. He lingered for weeks before dying in September. The assassination shocked the nation and helped spur civil service reform to reduce patronage and corruption.
