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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” reflects one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. 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.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

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

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy 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 rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. 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 confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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