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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now inspired a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, 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 descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. 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 clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law