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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. 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 public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law