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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and everything that we know about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an formal learning.

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 educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. 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 an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, 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 second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a history of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring 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 Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an weapon 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