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Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. 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 way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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