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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. 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 influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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