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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate 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 multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. 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 selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an weapon from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law