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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the period. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter 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 powerful oration nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. 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 overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about 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 demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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