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For generations, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee 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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law