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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate 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 so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration 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 party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin 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 represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events 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 reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his jacket 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