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Throughout history, the descendants of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, including a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also influenced his personality and his behavior and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for 17 years. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. 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 disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of customs official. Garfield declined, 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 political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, bill collector, minister 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 significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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