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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also formed his character and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “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 placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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