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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term 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 major battle 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 port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

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

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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