Unveiling the Heartbreaking Reality Behind Netflix's Latest Historical Drama

For generations, the heirs of President Garfield spoke proudly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a train station,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now resulted in a television production titled the historical drama, starring a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series promises to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an event now frequently ignored while the killings of President Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a middle ground. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a significant win for the executive authority over the party machine and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the dark side of the patronage system. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, produced an weapon from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law