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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, 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 unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

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 train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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