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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a television production titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law