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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency 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 gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. 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 disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law