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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law