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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare 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 defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control 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 rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

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 spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned 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 educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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