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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. 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 encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law