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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings 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 raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income 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, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, 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 placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. 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 “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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