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Throughout history, the family members of James Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the assassinations of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his approach and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a question of fairness and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman impressed them. 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 stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a visible struggle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman 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 represented the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, 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 calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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