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For generations, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing 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 very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments 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 nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law