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Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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