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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict 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 Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him 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 at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law