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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. 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 Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin 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 negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law