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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president 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 minister, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. 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 wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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