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For generations, the family members of President Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including a talented performer as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also formed his character and his behavior and the complete story 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 the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. 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 slavery and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for significance. 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 way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and shot the president twice in the back.

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