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Over many years, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income 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 entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, 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 surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency 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 psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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