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For generations, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication 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 drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the assassinations of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a history of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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