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Over many years, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F 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 legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers 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 national vote Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

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

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law