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Throughout history, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. “We knew 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, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a television production titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality 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 Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to 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 defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

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

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited 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 annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law