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For generations, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months 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 John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman won them over. 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 multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions 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 executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

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 exemplified the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law