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For generations, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK 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 land worker. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

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 hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law