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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue 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 preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. 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 legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members 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 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to 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 central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. 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 exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law