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For generations, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of the Civil War president and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished 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 make funds 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 entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements 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 never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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