🔗 Share this article

For generations, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a history of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law