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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, 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 supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman won them over. 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 rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority 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 nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the dark side of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for importance. 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 at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law