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Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now led to a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, including a talented performer as the president and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the highest office during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president 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 legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the period. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator 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 additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of professional failures, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, 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 reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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