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For generations, the family members of James Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the historical period only to succumb 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 tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd 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 national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements 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 forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the spoils network. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity 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 failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law