🔗 Share this article

For generations, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating 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 multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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