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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements 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 forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law