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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know 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 dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. 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 Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law