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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, 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 nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “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 shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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