🔗 Share this article

Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law