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Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy 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 religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

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 previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an weapon from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law