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Throughout history, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, including a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers 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 presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. 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 clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law