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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, including Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

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 care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

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. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance 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 alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law