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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, including a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member 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 Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law