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For generations, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position 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 executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, 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 thinking, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law