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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a television production titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances 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 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now mostly overlooked while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. 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.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. 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 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“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 never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background 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 presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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