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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency 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 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. 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 at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law