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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat 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

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

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 port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was delusion. 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 at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement 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 calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law