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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“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 more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law