Revealing the Tragic Story Within Netflix's Latest Historical Drama

Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We learned about the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, including a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His presidency was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his approach 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 Cuyahoga County in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the military position.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was selected to the Congress, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, 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, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, 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, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate 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 remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, 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 opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of professional failures, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, financial agent, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for significance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

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

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an handgun from his clothing and assassinated the leader in the back.

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