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Over many years, the heirs of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We read about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with 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 rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the period. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would work as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued 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, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an weapon from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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