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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. 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 Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

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 assassin was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness 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 was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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