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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, 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 family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role 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 executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law