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For generations, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a Republican for 17 years. 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 legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. 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 at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting 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 excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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