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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” notes one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, 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 seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, 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 deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon 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 defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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