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Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate 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 half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, 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, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual 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 defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival 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 left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman 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 represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law