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Throughout history, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a Netflix drama titled the historical drama, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and his behavior and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this issue was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements 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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a important role. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance 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 traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an weapon from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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