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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio 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 voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the opposing candidate 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 very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the dark side of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting 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 Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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