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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution 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 internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. 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 extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization 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 pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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