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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. 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 moral battle against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent 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 unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post 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 political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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