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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“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 era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague 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 cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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