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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue 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 all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, 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 surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position 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 presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, 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, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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