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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “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 wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency 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 pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, 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 Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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