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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down 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.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

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

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. 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 confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law