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For generations, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

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

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate 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 Mental Illness

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 spoils network. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role 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 the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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