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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated 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.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law