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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the presidential race, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law