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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law