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For generations, the family members of President Garfield 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 read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity 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 inspired a television production titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain 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 parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting 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 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. 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 nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law