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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“His possible achievements 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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress 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 cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. 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 eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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