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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the killings of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate 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 religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, 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 second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare 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 central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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