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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. 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 found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. 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 defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him 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 at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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