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For generations, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle 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 port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a history of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law