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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, 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 surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about 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 limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage 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 proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. 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 presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law