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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful 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 delusion. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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