Revealing the Heartbreaking Story Behind the Streaming Giant's Latest Historical Drama

For generations, the family members of the 20th US president spoke proudly about his impressive career but seldom discussed his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his family members. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Overlooked Leader

This changed in 2011 with the publication of a presidential biography, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a television production titled Death by Lightning, including Michael Shannon as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the unstable individual who gunned him down.

The series aims to highlight Garfield, who rose from poverty to the White House during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its deep political rifts. His tenure was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the killings of President Lincoln and JFK continue to captivate the public.

“One cannot help but admire what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a land worker. He was multiple professions which also shaped who he was and how he was and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his parent, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an education.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against slavery and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a decent human being and would have been an outstanding leader had he lived.”

Public Life and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would serve as a political representative for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the fulfillment of a conflict agreement.

“His oration on the legislative arena will tear your heart out. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for military hero, and the “rival group”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To placate the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the general election 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 very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's brief term was his disagreement with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling required power over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of port authority. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a opponent of Conkling to the post.

The conflict became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his junior senator left their positions in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was approved. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being pursued by a psychologically troubled person who represented the negative aspect of the patronage system. The assassin was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, mental instability and physical and psychological abuse. He had not succeeded as a attorney, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his specific type of insanity was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Carried away in the events of the 1880 election, he wrote and delivered an minor oration, and became convinced in his own mind that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On 2 July 1881, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law