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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon 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 thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law