1831年，詹姆斯·加菲尔德出生于俄亥俄州。两岁失去了父亲，之后他做了运河船工，并半工半读。1856年，他毕业于马塞诸塞的威廉斯学院，之后返回俄亥俄州，并在学校担任古典学教授。一年之内将他任命为威廉斯学院校长。他曾是美国第20任总统，1881年，在他被杀之前，他一共任职200天。
Garfield was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1859 as a Republican. During the secession crisis, he argued for strengthening the Union. In 1862, when Union military victories had been few, he successfully led a brigade in Kentucky, against Confederate troops. Ohioans elected him to Congress. He repeatedly won re-election for 18 years (nine terms), and became the leading Republican in the House.
1859年，作为共和党人，他被选举为俄亥俄州参议院议员。在这次的脱离危机中，他敦促大家团结一心。1862年，当时联合军败多胜少，加菲尔德领导部队来到肯塔基州，并成功地打败了南方联盟军。俄亥俄州人民选举他进入国会。并成功地连任，时长为18年（9任），并成为了国会共和党的领袖。
At the 1880 Republican Convention, Garfield became the "dark horse" nominee. In the Presidential election,Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee, Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, by a margin of only 10,000 popular votes. As President, Garfield successfully managed a national debt crisis. He also appointed several African Americans to prominent positions in his administration.
在1880年共和党大会上，加菲尔德成为了一匹“黑马”。在总统选举上，加菲尔德仅以1万选票的优势打败了民主党的候选人，温菲尔德·斯科特·汉考克将军。作为总统，加菲尔德成功地帮助国家度过了债务危机。他还任命诸位非洲裔美国人来担任行要职。
On July 2, 1881, President Garfield was on his way to Williams College, where he was due to make a speech.As he walked through a Washington railway station, he was shot twice by an assassin, Charles J. Guiteau and mortally wounded. He lay in the White House for weeks before dying from an infection and internal bleeding on September 19. He was 49. His final words were: "My work is done."
1881年7月2日，加菲尔德总统前往了威廉斯学院，他将在那里发表演讲。当他走向华盛顿火车站时，刺客，查理斯·J·吉托向他开了两枪，加菲尔德身负重伤。他在白宫躺了数周的时间，最终于9月19日死于感染和内出血。年仅49岁。他的遗言是：“我的工作完成了”。
