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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate 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 land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

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

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced 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