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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

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

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning 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. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance 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 college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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