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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office 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 gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, 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 divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law