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Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths 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 religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates 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 national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for importance. 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 at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, 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 deserved a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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