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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these 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 most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic 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 an influential figure, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, 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 unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist 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 Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting 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 historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law