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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“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 completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, 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 confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law