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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member 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 elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning 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 political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

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

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