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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect 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 his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, 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 seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. 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 impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare 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 forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, 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 political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the political contest, 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 logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law