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Over many years, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and everything that we know about him the family carries down 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 father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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