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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, 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 surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to 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 major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law