‘Death by Lightning’ Fact vs Fiction: Inside the true story behind President Garfield’s rise and assassination
Netflix is bringing to light one of America’s most overlooked leaders with ‘Death by Lightning.’ It’s a four-episode miniseries chronicling the rise and fall of President James A. Garfield, played by Michael Shannon. The series traces Garfield’s unlikely ascent to the presidency, his ambitious reform agenda, and his tragic assassination by Charles J. Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen). Guiteau was a delusional drifter who believed he was divinely chosen to kill the president. Keep reading to find out which parts of Netflix’s ‘Death by Lightning’ stay true to history and where the series bends the facts for drama.
From reluctant candidate to reluctant President
One of the show’s central themes is Garfield’s reluctance to pursue the presidency and this is no exaggeration, as per TV Insider. Historically, Garfield never sought the nation’s highest office. In fact, his nomination in 1880 happened by accident after he delivered a powerful speech supporting another candidate. The series accurately depicts this fateful turn of events: as Republican delegates clashed and failed to agree on a nominee, Garfield emerged as a compromise choice. What followed was a presidency defined by integrity and reform, and cut brutally short after only three months in office.
Was Chester Arthur truly a political enforcer before becoming vice president?
Garfield’s short tenure was marked by his efforts to clean up Washington’s spoils system. Standing in his way was Senator Roscoe Conkling, brought to life by Shea Whigham, a domineering power broker from New York who epitomized the corruption Garfield sought to dismantle. Conkling’s ally, Chester A. Arthur (played by Nick Offerman), served as Garfield’s vice president and is portrayed as a political enforcer. While the show dramatizes Arthur’s involvement in machine politics, it exaggerates his supposed physical intimidation tactics. In reality, Arthur was known for his refined personality and stylish tastes, earning him the nickname “Elegant Arthur.”
Did Garfield’s assassin really spend his early years in a scandalous “free-love” commune?
At the heart of the story is Guiteau, one of history’s strangest assassins. The show captures his erratic behavior, religious delusions, and obsessive belief that Garfield owed him a political appointment. What many viewers may not realize is that Guiteau’s bizarre life was just as wild off-screen as it appears in the series. Guiteau really did live in a “free-love” commune known as the Oneida Community in upstate New York, a radical society that practiced communal marriage. Far from thriving there, he was mocked and ostracized by its members, ultimately leaving in anger and later suing the commune for unpaid labor. His lawsuit failed, but his resentment and instability only deepened in the years that followed.
The Killer’s remains still haunt history
The series’ chilling final episode depicts the aftermath of Guiteau’s crime and the strange fate of his body. This too is grounded in truth. After Guiteau was executed by hanging in 1882, doctors preserved his brain and spleen for medical study. Today, parts of his remains are still displayed at museums, including the National Museum of Health and Medicine and Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum, serving as eerie reminders of how his madness changed the course of history.
Did Senator Conkling really have a scandalous affair with Kate Chase?
Like many historical dramas, ‘Death by Lightning’ takes creative liberties. For instance, the show suggests that Conkling had a public affair with Kate Chase Sprague (played by Tuppence Middleton), a rumor that’s been whispered about for over a century but never definitively proven. According to ECW, Historians have long debated the affair’s legitimacy, though one story claims that Sprague’s husband once confronted Conkling with a shotgun. Whether or not it happened, the rumor adds a tantalizing layer of scandal to the already chaotic world of post–Civil War politics.