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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a history of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. 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 at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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