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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position 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 nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the political contest, he prepared and gave 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 travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law