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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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