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Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law