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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an weapon from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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