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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. 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 internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates 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 presidential race Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare 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 thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC 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 annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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