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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon 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 clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

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

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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