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Throughout history, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, 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 shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection 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 eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned 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 college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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