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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against slavery and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

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

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

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 represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law