🔗 Share this article

For generations, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims 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 ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

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 embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law