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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

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

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member 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.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements 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 central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law