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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy 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 farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, 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, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split 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 advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative 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 unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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