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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income 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 entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking 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 voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters 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 national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a record of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law