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Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty 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 mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate 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 House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member 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 remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Killer 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 exemplified the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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