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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also formed his character and his behavior and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “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 appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

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

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law