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Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We were aware what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. 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 unstable individual who shot him.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by medical malpractice – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“One cannot help but admire 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 all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a conflict agreement.

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

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “Stalwarts”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was confirmed. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being followed by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the political contest, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the diplomatic representative — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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