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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a television production titled the presidential series, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided 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 massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated 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 very unusual 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 forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — 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 Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law