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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. 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 lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress 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 party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law