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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing 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, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“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 never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. 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 opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law