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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate 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 agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements 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 central struggle 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 prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law