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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, 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 his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, 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 opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting 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 stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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