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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

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

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. 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 stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame 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 special for 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 major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, 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 became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law