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

Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer 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 represented the dark side of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. 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. 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 solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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