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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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