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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the problematic element of the spoils network. The assassin was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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