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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements 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 pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. 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 eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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