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Over many years, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

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

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, 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 unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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