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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

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 inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, 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 shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about 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 influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, 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 rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented 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 deserved a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law