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For generations, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate 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 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 “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a record of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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