Unveiling the Devastating Truth Behind the Streaming Giant's Latest Historical Drama

Throughout history, the descendants of the 20th US president discussed openly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his family members. “We studied the story in books but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Historical Figure

This changed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the commander-in-chief and Matthew Macfadyen as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was truncated after only 200 days not only by the killer's weapon but by medical malpractice – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of the Civil War president and John F Kennedy continue to intrigue the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and how he was and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a previous schoolmate, his future wife, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I found it incredible. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was innovative for the time. He was kind. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

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

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the political organization was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began seeking a solution. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To placate the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the presidential race Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to 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 central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage 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 executive of the United States”. He proposed a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a public failure, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was false belief. He always believed that divine selection for significance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he wrote and delivered an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau calculated he had earned a important role. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, demanding to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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