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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. 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 unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member 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 Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law