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Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, 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 personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law