Exposing the Heartbreaking Truth Behind the Streaming Giant's Death by Lightning

Throughout history, the heirs of President Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his violent end. We were aware what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just glanced over it.”

Fresh Curiosity in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. The publication has now inspired a Netflix drama titled Death by Lightning, starring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the wanderer who assassinated him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the economic era only to succumb to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was cut short after only several months not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an incident now largely forgotten while the assassinations of President Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was a true polymath: he was a lawyer, he was a preacher, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also shaped who he was and his behavior and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His father died when he was 18 months old, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an education.

He studied law, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I couldn't believe it. He was absolutely brilliant. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the era. He was caring. He was a moral individual and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was dedicated proponent of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a issue of rights and the realization of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was extremely significant to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by an influential figure, who supported a third term for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began searching for a compromise. Garfield's impassioned speech proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Government Conflicts

“His possible achievements and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's brief term was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over federal patronage in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute turned into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats 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 improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a mentally unstable individual who embodied the negative aspect of the patronage system. The gunman was a unstable individual with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a attorney, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the events of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Assassination and Doctor Errors

On that fateful day, just a short time into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an weapon from his coat pocket and shot the president twice in the back.

Garfield shouted: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law