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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring a talented performer as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “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 stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. 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 disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated 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 junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. 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 eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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