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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy 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 a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great 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 thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law