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Over many years, the descendants of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts 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 Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was so many things 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 Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the era. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. 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 multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law