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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also shaped who he was 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 born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, 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, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a background of professional failures, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law