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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, 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 satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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