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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and President 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 formed his character 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 most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting 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 appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“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 failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law