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Over many years, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “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 wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“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 never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an weapon from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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