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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, including Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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