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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician 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 remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law