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For generations, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud 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 influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party 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 another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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