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For generations, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict 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 declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law