Revealing the Tragic Truth Within Netflix's Death by Lightning

For generations, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his remarkable life but avoided talking about his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency during the economic era only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His presidency was cut short after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of the Civil War president and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and everything that we know about him the descendants preserve with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in Ohio in 1831. His dad perished when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“During my investigation, I couldn't believe it. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work 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 speech he gave on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was very important to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling demanded control over political positions in New York, particularly the prestigious role 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 rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Facing a public failure, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the political organization and for the change movement over “boss rule”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who embodied the problematic element of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a record of professional failures, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a attorney, financial agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable 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 route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a important role. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his jacket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law