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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy 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 land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to 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 major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed 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 progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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