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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the historical drama, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. 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.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave 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 constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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