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Throughout history, 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 gunned down in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln 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 racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, 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, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “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 surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally 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.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for 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 short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law