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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements 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 pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate 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 stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — 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 that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law