🔗 Share this article

Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths 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 like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and advanced to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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