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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

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 educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, 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 faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned 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 candidate was confirmed. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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