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Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, 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, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for 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 short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the dark side of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law