Revealing the Heartbreaking Truth Behind Netflix's Death by Lightning

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

Revived Interest in a Historical Figure

This shifted in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a television production titled the presidential series, including a talented performer as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His tenure was ended prematurely after only half a year not only by the killer's weapon but by doctor errors – an event now frequently ignored while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, 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 descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Public Life and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to depart military life when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a political representative for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“His oration on the House chamber will tear your heart out. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a third term for Ulysses S Grant, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a solution. Garfield's powerful oration proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a voice from the crowd unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling required power over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of customs official. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict escalated into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a significant win for the power of the presidency over the party machine and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a record of career disappointments, emotional issues and physical and psychological abuse. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, bill collector, preacher and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for significance. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a post for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an weapon from his jacket 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