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For generations, the family members of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, including Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting 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 multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law