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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, 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, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a drifter with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him 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 eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an handgun from his clothing 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