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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted 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 television production titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating 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 extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law