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Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations 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 lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law