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For generations, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a wartime covenant.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a middle ground. 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 audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the party machine and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

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 political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a history of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

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