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Throughout history, the family members of President Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was shot in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now resulted in a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Highest Office

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an education.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting 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 extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield beat the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a wanderer with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and collapsed on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law