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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with 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 forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law