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Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, including Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. 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 rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform 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 exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The assassin was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law