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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a television production titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, 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 backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter 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 psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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