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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach 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 born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away 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 generate income 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 educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work 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 wartime covenant.

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

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post 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 several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law