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For generations, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings 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 just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and advanced to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law