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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. 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 lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post 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 nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement 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 disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law