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Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a television production titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. 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 Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law