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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the economic era 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 doctor errors – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. 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 Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual 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 brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. 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 way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law