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For generations, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced 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 period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, 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 question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning 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 events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law