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Over many years, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham 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 lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story 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 the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements 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 major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law