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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: 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 all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate 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 Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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