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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings 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 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post 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 presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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