🔗 Share this article

Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of President Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

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 multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, 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 placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post 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 confrontation became a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable 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 route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law