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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role 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 executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind 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 continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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