Exposing the Heartbreaking Story Behind Netflix's Death by Lightning

Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now inspired a streaming series titled the historical drama, starring Michael Shannon as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, 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 descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his parent, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was entered the clergy, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have a large family. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a moral battle against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he remained alive.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was selected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the realization of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “Stalwarts”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech nominating Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, 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 surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield overcame the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he wasn't seeking the position. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments 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 nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “machine politics”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a attorney, financial agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the excitement of the presidential race, he created and presented an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his educational gathering. As he walked through the train depot, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his clothing and shot the president twice in the back.

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