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Over many years, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, 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 surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law