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Over many years, the family members of the 20th US president discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “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 unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. 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. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law