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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the president and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue 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 farmer. He was so many things which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term 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 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee 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 extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law