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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post 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 political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law