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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these 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 White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

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

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting 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 extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, 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 escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer 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 problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law