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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, 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 surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. 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 at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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