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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate 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 farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school 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 ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “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 unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. 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 “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress 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 cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. 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 route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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