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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the president and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, 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 shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield defeated the opposing candidate 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 very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position 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 selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law