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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College 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 ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing 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 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 running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“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 forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

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 embodied the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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