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Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief 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 toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a holy crusade against human bondage and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, 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 supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the political appointment process. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had merited a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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