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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. 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 one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing 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 presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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