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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten 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 all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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