Revealing the Tragic Truth Behind Netflix's Latest Historical Drama

Throughout history, the family members of James Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” notes one of his living relatives. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now led to a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and his co-star as the drifter who shot him.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only 200 days not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things 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 final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was ahead of his time for the era. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been one of our great presidents had he lived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was selected to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for 17 years. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a wartime covenant.

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

At the political assembly in Chicago the party was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership 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 gridlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began searching for a solution. 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 voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield rejected, 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 conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the political organization and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the dark side of the patronage system. The assassin was a unstable individual with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, financial agent, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Swept up in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had deserved a high-level government job. He went to the capital and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

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