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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, 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.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield refused, 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 dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning 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. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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