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For generations, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: 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 his approach and all the information 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 parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels 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 married a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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