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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. 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 confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the party machine and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

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

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law