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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK 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 minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. 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 an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position 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 the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law