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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his behavior and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. 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 one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for former president, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “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 wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease 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 selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe particular about 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 central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had earned a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled 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 depot ground. When a {police officer|law