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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the killings 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 a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

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 Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare 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 defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law