🔗 Share this article

For generations, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure 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 greatness. 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. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

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

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law