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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release 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, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. 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 at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible 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, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

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

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law