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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, including a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy 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 preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. 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 multiple voting round, a wave of backers 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 general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare 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 thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, 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 confrontation became a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law