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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue 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 land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, 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 placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon 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 short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity 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 failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law