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For generations, the family members of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham 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 preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “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 stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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