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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a television production titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. 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.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. 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 finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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