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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about 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 central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: 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 single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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