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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, including a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements 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 never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. 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 route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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