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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months 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 President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

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

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency 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 completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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