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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a television production titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “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 stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

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 embodied the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the presidential race, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law