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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. 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 “spoils system”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law