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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman impressed them. 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 multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great 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 thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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