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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, 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 lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. 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 public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law