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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for 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 shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

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

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law