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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon 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 forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman 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 dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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