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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an schooling.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “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 unexpected candidate. 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 defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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