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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of President Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd 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 vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon 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 pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts 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 exemplified the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. 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 pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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