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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these 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 Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle 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 very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, 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 satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist 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 elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position 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 selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer 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. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law