Revealing the Tragic Story Behind Netflix's Latest Historical Drama

Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield shared stories about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We learned about the story in publications but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The book has now resulted in a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the national leader and his co-star as the drifter who assassinated him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the historical period only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an incident now largely forgotten while the deaths of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a attorney, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was all of these things which also formed his character and his approach and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Highest Office

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a righteous fight against forced servitude and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely courageous. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the Congress, where he would serve as a party member for nearly two decades. He was strong supporter of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will affect you emotionally. He was an impressive communicator and this topic was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield overcame the Democratic nominee to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon 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 insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He proposed a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a public battle but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the party machine and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a background of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, bill collector, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau appeared suddenly, pulled an handgun from his coat pocket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield shouted: “Why is this occurring?” and fell on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law