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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths 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 incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for 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 short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague 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 change movement over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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