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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position 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 opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated 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 candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity 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 pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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