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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party 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 another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. 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 at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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