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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the president and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the military position.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, 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 satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“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 completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position 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 confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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