🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

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

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

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

The defining conflict 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 influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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