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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: 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 approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, 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 huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority 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 proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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