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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and JFK 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 preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain 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 father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

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

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency 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 Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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