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Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest 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 historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an education.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. 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

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to 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 short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness 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 could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law