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For generations, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

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

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, 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 conflict turned into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions 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 “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama 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 reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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