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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims 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 deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations 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 preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was delusion. 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 at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law