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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to 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 short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law