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For generations, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue 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 land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for 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 defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital 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: “What's happening?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law