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For generations, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated 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 cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress 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 party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. 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 attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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