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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His presidency was cut short after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and the complete story 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 the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “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 stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle 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 refused, 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 conflict escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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