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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker 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 third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, 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 appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a important role. 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 annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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