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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a military promise.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, 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 thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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