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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a history of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver 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