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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position 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 nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — 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 the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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