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Throughout history, the heirs of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

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

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a compromise. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments 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 executive of the United States”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted 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 confirmed. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for importance. 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 way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law