Revealing the Heartbreaking Truth Within Netflix's Death by Lightning

Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was shot in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's unfinished life. The book has now inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to shine a light on Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was cut short after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by medical malpractice – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a farmer. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and how he was and the complete story about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the White House

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 mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against human bondage and rose to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I found it incredible. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Government Service and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a conflict agreement.

“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 party gathering in Chicago the party was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking 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 extended selection process, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is extremely rare and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation turned into a public battle 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 selection was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Killer and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the dark side of the spoils network. The gunman was a wanderer with a history of career disappointments, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was emotionally unstable and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the drama of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an unimportant address, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau determined he had merited a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “Why is this occurring?” and collapsed on the station floor. When a {police officer|law