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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a television production titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration 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 political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. 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 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin 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 problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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