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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down 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.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now mostly overlooked while the killings 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 attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law