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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe unique to 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 major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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