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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy 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 a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements 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 pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

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 embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

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

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered 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 prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an weapon from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law