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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president 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 preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away 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 generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is 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. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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