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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. 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.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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