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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield rejected, 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 confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

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 represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling 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 at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law