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For generations, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked 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 lawyer, he was a religious leader, 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.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, 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, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great 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 pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law