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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 tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great 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 forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection 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. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law