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For generations, the family members of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the deaths 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 a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. 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 looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers 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 national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for 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 defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform 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 mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. 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 at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law