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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions 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 nation's leader”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law