Revealing the Tragic Truth Within the Streaming Giant's Death by Lightning

For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a television production titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations 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 legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill 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 progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law