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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a television production titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, 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 multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role 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 selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“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 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 wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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