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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio 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 dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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