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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the historical period only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

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

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the era. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law