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Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now inspired a television production titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln 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 lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. 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 extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. 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 rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law