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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, 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 a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, 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 unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to 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 limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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