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Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. 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 unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and how he was and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College 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 ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “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 rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance 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 traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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