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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud 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 influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“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 completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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