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Throughout history, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, 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 shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. 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 selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning 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. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law