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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about 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 a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual 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 forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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