Revealing the Devastating Story Within Netflix's Latest Historical Drama

Over many years, the descendants of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his remarkable life but rarely mentioned his tragic assassination. We understood what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in books but, for various reasons, we just passed over it quickly.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Forgotten President

This changed in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the president and another skilled actor as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was truncated after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now frequently ignored while the deaths of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a land worker. He was so many things which also formed his character and his behavior and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the final national leader raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His parent passed away when he was 18 months old, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in difficult circumstances. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an schooling.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he married a educational contemporary, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a righteous fight against slavery and progressed to the officer status.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to depart military life when he was selected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of African American voting rights, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The speech he gave 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 party gathering in Chicago the political organization was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began seeking a solution. Garfield's powerful oration supporting Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the surprise nominee. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the national vote Garfield overcame the rival politician to become the sole representative of the House ever to be chosen as leader.

Truncated Term and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is extremely rare 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 forced into the role.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling insisted on authority over federal patronage in New York, particularly the prestigious role of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was approved. It was a landmark victory for the executive authority over the political organization and for the change movement over “political control”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The assassin was a drifter with a history of career disappointments, emotional issues and early life difficulties. He had been unsuccessful as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his specific type of insanity was fantasy. He always believed that religious calling for importance. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau failed at everything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Swept up in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau calculated he had earned a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, pulled an handgun from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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