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For generations, the family members of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, including a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, 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 multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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