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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member 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.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill 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 progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law