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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK 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 multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, 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 surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, 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 conflict became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a background of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding 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 Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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