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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. 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 clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law