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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, 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, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon 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 thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague 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 cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

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

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law