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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy 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 overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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