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For generations, the descendants of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “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, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

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 streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and rose to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing 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 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority 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 executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law