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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield refused, 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 dispute became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority 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 mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law