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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers 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 defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law