Exposing the Heartbreaking Story Within the Streaming Giant's Death by Lightning

For generations, the family members of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was cut short after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK 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 religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, 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 massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare 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 thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions 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 opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity 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 was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding 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 Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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