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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced 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 kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term 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 never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law