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For generations, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

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

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman won them over. 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 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare 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 pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law