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For generations, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but avoided talking about his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who assassinated him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His presidency was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an formal learning.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would work 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 realization of a conflict agreement.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his close associate John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, 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 appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a drifter with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the events of the political contest, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his alumni event. As he moved through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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