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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. 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.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about 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 limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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