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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and JFK 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 multiple professions which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the officer status.

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

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, 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 middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post 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 political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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