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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration 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 declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law