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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. 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 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“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 forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, 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 confrontation became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law