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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president 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 deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about 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 major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing 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 executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law