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For generations, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

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

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “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 wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law