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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of President Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down 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 just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

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 spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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