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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue 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 land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, 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 forced servitude and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle 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 candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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