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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days 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 captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions 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 nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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