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Throughout history, the family members of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration supporting 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 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had financially a better start 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. Carried away in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a post 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 that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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