The Tragic True Story Behind Death by Lightning

by

The new Netflix documentary, Death by Lightning, explores the story of President James Garfield’s assassination. Garfield was shot just four months into his presidency, on July 2, 1881, and sadly died from his wounds a few months later at the age of 49.

The four-part series begins at the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago, a highly contested event. Senator John Sherman recognized James Garfield’s talent as a speaker and asked him to support Sherman’s presidential campaign. However, delegates were divided between Sherman, James Blaine, and Ulysses S. Grant. After 36 votes, they ultimately chose Garfield as their nominee, captivated by his inspiring speech. Garfield and his vice president, Chester Arthur, were then inaugurated on March 4, 1881, making Garfield the 20th President of the United States.

Charles Guiteau, a peculiar man who became fixated on President Garfield after hearing his 1880 campaign speech, is the focus of this story. It follows his efforts to secure a position within the presidential administration.

This explains the brief presidency of James A. Garfield and the story of how Charles Guiteau, initially a devoted admirer, ultimately became his assassin.

What is James Garfield known for?

In many ways, Garfield’s rise to the presidency embodies the American dream.

He lost his father at a very young age and grew up on a farm near Cleveland with his struggling single mother. He paid for his education by working as a school janitor while attending the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute in Ohio, and later transferred to Williams College as a third-year student.

James A. Garfield achieved remarkable success at a young age. As C.W. Goodyear notes in his book, President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier, Garfield was a college president, minister, and state senator by 27. He went on to lead the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (1857-1861) and became the youngest general in the Union Army during the Civil War (1861-1863). He also served eight terms in the House of Representatives (1863-1881), becoming one of the youngest members of Congress. During his career, he helped establish the federal Department of Education, successfully argued cases before the Supreme Court, and played a key role in passing the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, which addressed civil rights. A dedicated abolitionist, Garfield championed voting rights for Black Americans and supported the Freedmen’s Bureau, which aided formerly enslaved people. Remarkably, he even found time to prove the Pythagorean theorem while serving in Congress.

James A. Garfield’s presidency was cut short by his assassination, preventing him from achieving significant policy goals. Before his death, he had begun working on the Pendleton Act, a reform aimed at improving the civil service by requiring qualifications for certain government positions. This act was later signed into law by his successor, Chester A. Arthur, in 1883.

According to Tim Garfield, the president’s great-great-grandson and caretaker of the Garfield Trail, James A. Garfield is primarily remembered for being the 36th-ballot nominee at his party’s convention. While he did win the election, his presidency was cut short by an assassination. Garfield didn’t have much time to accomplish his goals as president, so to truly understand his intelligence and impact, you need to look at his earlier writings and work.

Why Guiteau shot Garfield

According to Tim Garfield, the man who assassinated President Garfield, Guiteau, was simply frustrated about not getting the government job he felt he’d earned after supporting the president. Unlike what’s shown in some portrayals, he didn’t party with Chester Arthur while seeking employment. He did briefly encounter Garfield at a public event, but the content of their conversation remains unknown.

Charles Guiteau, despite having no actual ties to France, was convinced his French last name qualified him to be a U.S. ambassador there. As Candice Millard, author of the book that inspired the Netflix series Destiny of the Republic, points out, Guiteau suffered from delusions. One example of this was his falling out with a free-love community in New York state – he believed he was above doing physical work.

Guiteau became convinced that assassinating President Garfield would improve his chances of landing a position in the future Arthur administration. According to Mike Makowsky, creator of Death by Lightning, Guiteau faced constant rejection from the Garfield administration, eventually leading him to believe that killing his former hero was the only way to achieve greatness and leave his mark on history.

I recently watched Death by Lightning, and it’s a truly unsettling film. What struck me was how meticulously Guiteau selected his weapon – he specifically chose an ivory .44 British Bulldog because he wanted something that looked like it belonged in a museum. The assassination itself is shockingly straightforward: Garfield was walking through the Baltimore and Potomac train station with his sons and James Blaine, the Secretary of State, when Guiteau shot him in the back. Immediately after, right outside the station, Blaine pointed out Guiteau to the authorities, and the man practically surrendered, shouting that he’d done it and that Chester Arthur would now be President, saving the Republic! It’s a bizarre and disturbing scene, and it really highlights the assassin’s delusional motivations.

Garfield had been planning a trip with his sons to visit his college, Williams College, before he was shot. Six months later, his attacker was found guilty in court and put to death on June 30, 1882.

According to Makowsky, Guiteau’s story still resonates today. He believes Guiteau felt isolated and disconnected from society, which ultimately drove him to commit a terrible act of violence. The show aims to explore the underlying reasons for political violence, a challenging but important discussion for our current times.

Read More

2025-11-06 16:06