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For generations, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law