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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system 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 pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon 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