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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position 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 executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable 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 authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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