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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including an acclaimed actor as the national leader and his co-star as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the killings of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money 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 entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a political representative for multiple terms. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “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 wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield beat the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, bill collector, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a important role. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law