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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

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

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the party machine and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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