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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham 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 lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a record of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister 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 significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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