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Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a holy crusade against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, 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 vice president. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. 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 rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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