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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. 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 satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting 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 improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. 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 finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding 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 that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law