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For generations, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and the complete story 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 dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great 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 never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had financially a better start 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 events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law