Unveiling the Tragic Reality Behind Netflix's Latest Historical Drama

For generations, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in publications but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled the presidential series, featuring Michael Shannon as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the Gilded Age only to become a casualty to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident 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 land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and his behavior and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against human bondage and progressed to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was very progressive for the time. He was caring. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would function as a political representative for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a open fight but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a mentally unstable individual who exemplified the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, bill collector, religious figure and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events 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 determined he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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