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For generations, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning 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. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, 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 travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law