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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important 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 continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position 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 nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin 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 spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama 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 reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law