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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. 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 insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law