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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and advanced to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual 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 thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

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 political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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