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For generations, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, including a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. 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.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a history of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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