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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the political organization 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 followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the events of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law