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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, 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 satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, 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 confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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