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For generations, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in books but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, 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 surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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