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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, 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 unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon 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 brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had failed as a legal professional, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, 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 presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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