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Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to shine a light on Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the killings of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery 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 ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, 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 close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for 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 major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. The gunman was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning 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 political contest, 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 calculated he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded 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 Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law