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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. 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 survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“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 completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law