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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach 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 born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment 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 matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

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

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. 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 Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered 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 Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law