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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements 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 never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing 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 party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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