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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“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 party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, 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 shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law