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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. 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 remained alive.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield defeated 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

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to 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 defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict 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 candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law