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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a television production titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate 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 religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate 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 House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer 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 nominating 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 multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for 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 disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. 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 was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance 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 leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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