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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an event now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, 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 turned into a visible struggle 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 nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law