Exposing the Tragic Reality Within the Streaming Giant's Death by Lightning

Throughout history, the family members of the 20th US president shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a train station,” reflects one of his living relatives. “We read about the story in books but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of Destiny of the Republic, which generated attention in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a streaming series titled Death by Lightning, featuring a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and another skilled actor as the wanderer who gunned him down.

The series seeks to highlight Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the highest office during the economic era only to fall victim to its bitter partisan conflicts. His time in office was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an event now mostly overlooked while the killings 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 religious leader, he was a farmer. He was multiple professions which also formed his character and his approach and the complete story about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield labored on waterways to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he wed a educational contemporary, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against human bondage and advanced to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I found it incredible. He was absolutely brilliant. He was fearless. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been an outstanding leader had he survived.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would function as a political representative for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a issue of rights and the completion of a military promise.

“The address he delivered on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was very important to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a middle ground. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a rush of supporters made Garfield the surprise nominee. To appease the Stalwart faction, the vice presidential pick, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield defeated the rival politician to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“Garfield's potential greatness 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 entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his clash with Conkling over the “political favors”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post 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 presidential authority”. He selected a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation became a visible struggle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Facing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was confirmed. It was a historic triumph for the presidential control over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “political control”.

The Assassin and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the political appointment process. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a record of career disappointments, mental instability and early life difficulties. He had not succeeded as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, religious figure and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield succeeded and advanced, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a way to accomplishment: politics. Carried away in the drama of the presidential race, he created and presented an minor oration, and became certain in his thoughts that he was personally instrumental for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau determined he had deserved a high-level government job. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other officials, demanding to be made the US consul in Paris — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was traveling from DC for his alumni event. As he walked through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

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