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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: 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 behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term 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 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the events of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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