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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. 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 surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual 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 major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented 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 deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law