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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama 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 emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to intrigue 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 farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a unstable individual with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law