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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star 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 succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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