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Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative 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 extremely rare and maybe special for 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 central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, 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 political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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