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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects 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 transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, 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 escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

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 wanderer with a record of professional failures, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“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 financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, 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 prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law