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Over many years, the family members of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the time. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd 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 political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements 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 completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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