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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. 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 extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon 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 central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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