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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the dark side of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. 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 eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law