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For generations, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against forced servitude and advanced to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was chosen to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization 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 political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. 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 multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position 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 political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle 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 selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer 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 problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

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

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the drama of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law