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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a streaming series titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College 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 passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. 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 voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for 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 defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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