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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a television production titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F 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 minister, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

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

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

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

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. 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 route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an weapon from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law