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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, 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 rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law