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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer 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 emotional address nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe particular about 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 short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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