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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, 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 gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great 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 forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts 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 dark side of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law