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Over many years, the family members of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. 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 shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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