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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His presidency was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain 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 dad perished when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about 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 major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, financial agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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