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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative 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 legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “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 rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. 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 finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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