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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the events of the presidential race, he created and presented 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 earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, 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 Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC 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 cried out: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law