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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and rose to the military position.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

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

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to 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 brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

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

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law