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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

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 care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great 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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him 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 pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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