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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims 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 ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative 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 encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, 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 shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed 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 insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, 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 escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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