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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the military position.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law