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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law