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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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