🔗 Share this article

For generations, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection 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 finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law