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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President 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 preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the period. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to 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 major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role 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 proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a history of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law