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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes 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 Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK 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 multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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