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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring a talented performer as the national leader and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would work as a Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer 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 impassioned speech 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 wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. 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 Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great 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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. 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 route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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