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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena 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 faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “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 unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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