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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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