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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect 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 all of these things which also formed his character and how he was and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. 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 turned into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman 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 spoils network. The assassin was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. 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 route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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