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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. 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 shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. 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 executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law