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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment 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 deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

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 exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered 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 merited a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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