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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, 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 rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned 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 educational gathering. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law