▲ 287 ▼ TIL In the 1800s, individuals secured government jobs through connections to presidents, not by merit. This practice ended after a disgruntled job-seeker assassinated President James A. Garfield, (www.americanhistorycentral.com) submitted 2 years ago by Don_Dickle@lemmy.world to c/til@lemmy.world 32 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (2 children) Yeah, totally worth reading about Guiteau because he was crazy on an amazing level. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago For those like me who lack the attention span to read about it Sam O'Nella did a video about it permalink fedilink source parent [–] LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 child) The man bought an ivory gripped pistol for the assassination because he thought it would look cooler displayed in a museum, IIRC. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (2 children) He was just a complete nutbag. He wrote a poem in the style of "a child babbling to his mamma and his papa" which repeated "I am going to the Lordy" over and over again and read it on the way up to the gallows. Check out the excerpts from his trial and what he said at his sentencing: https://www.famous-trials.com/guiteau/2193-guiteauspeaks https://www.famous-trials.com/guiteau/2196-sentencing Edit: I forgot about the "Tableaux." https://www.famous-trials.com/guiteau/2190-shortplay permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) "As sure as you are alive, gentlemen, as sure as you are alive, if a hair of my head is harmed this nation will go down to desolation... all you can do is put my body in the ground, but this nation will pay for it as sure as you are alive." Well, shit. Do you guys think this is why things have been going so poorly lately? permalink fedilink source parent [–] LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 child) Oh god how did I forget about the poem permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Not sure if this is your thing, but Stephen Sondheim did a musical about presidential assassins and set some of the poem to music (incidentally, Guiteau said at the execution that he hoped the poem would be effective if it was set to music) as part of a longer song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAnHW2qwc2Y permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago For those like me who lack the attention span to read about it Sam O'Nella did a video about it permalink fedilink source parent
[–] LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 child) The man bought an ivory gripped pistol for the assassination because he thought it would look cooler displayed in a museum, IIRC. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (2 children) He was just a complete nutbag. He wrote a poem in the style of "a child babbling to his mamma and his papa" which repeated "I am going to the Lordy" over and over again and read it on the way up to the gallows. Check out the excerpts from his trial and what he said at his sentencing: https://www.famous-trials.com/guiteau/2193-guiteauspeaks https://www.famous-trials.com/guiteau/2196-sentencing Edit: I forgot about the "Tableaux." https://www.famous-trials.com/guiteau/2190-shortplay permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) "As sure as you are alive, gentlemen, as sure as you are alive, if a hair of my head is harmed this nation will go down to desolation... all you can do is put my body in the ground, but this nation will pay for it as sure as you are alive." Well, shit. Do you guys think this is why things have been going so poorly lately? permalink fedilink source parent [–] LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 child) Oh god how did I forget about the poem permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Not sure if this is your thing, but Stephen Sondheim did a musical about presidential assassins and set some of the poem to music (incidentally, Guiteau said at the execution that he hoped the poem would be effective if it was set to music) as part of a longer song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAnHW2qwc2Y permalink fedilink source parent
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (2 children) He was just a complete nutbag. He wrote a poem in the style of "a child babbling to his mamma and his papa" which repeated "I am going to the Lordy" over and over again and read it on the way up to the gallows. Check out the excerpts from his trial and what he said at his sentencing: https://www.famous-trials.com/guiteau/2193-guiteauspeaks https://www.famous-trials.com/guiteau/2196-sentencing Edit: I forgot about the "Tableaux." https://www.famous-trials.com/guiteau/2190-shortplay permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) "As sure as you are alive, gentlemen, as sure as you are alive, if a hair of my head is harmed this nation will go down to desolation... all you can do is put my body in the ground, but this nation will pay for it as sure as you are alive." Well, shit. Do you guys think this is why things have been going so poorly lately? permalink fedilink source parent [–] LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 child) Oh god how did I forget about the poem permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Not sure if this is your thing, but Stephen Sondheim did a musical about presidential assassins and set some of the poem to music (incidentally, Guiteau said at the execution that he hoped the poem would be effective if it was set to music) as part of a longer song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAnHW2qwc2Y permalink fedilink source parent
[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) "As sure as you are alive, gentlemen, as sure as you are alive, if a hair of my head is harmed this nation will go down to desolation... all you can do is put my body in the ground, but this nation will pay for it as sure as you are alive." Well, shit. Do you guys think this is why things have been going so poorly lately? permalink fedilink source parent
[–] LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 child) Oh god how did I forget about the poem permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Not sure if this is your thing, but Stephen Sondheim did a musical about presidential assassins and set some of the poem to music (incidentally, Guiteau said at the execution that he hoped the poem would be effective if it was set to music) as part of a longer song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAnHW2qwc2Y permalink fedilink source parent
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Not sure if this is your thing, but Stephen Sondheim did a musical about presidential assassins and set some of the poem to music (incidentally, Guiteau said at the execution that he hoped the poem would be effective if it was set to music) as part of a longer song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAnHW2qwc2Y permalink fedilink source parent