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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual 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 thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, 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 thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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