Netflix’s new series Death by Lightning brings to life one of the most dramatic yet overlooked stories in American history: the assassination of President James Garfield. The show presents an incredible tale that might seem too strange to be true, but the core events actually happened. Here’s what’s fact and what’s fiction in this historical drama.
The Reluctant President and His Delusional Admirer
Death by Lightning tells the parallel stories of James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, and Charles Guiteau, the man who shot him. The series accurately portrays Garfield as a reluctant leader who never actively sought the presidency.
At the 1880 Republican National Convention, Garfield attended only to give a nomination speech for fellow Ohioan John Sherman. His speech was so powerful that delegates began voting for him instead, despite his protests. The show captures Garfield’s genuine distress at being nominated, with the politician once writing in his journal about presidential ambition as an “evil” that destroys its possessor.
Matthew Macfadyen’s Guiteau is depicted as a delusional figure who believed his minimal efforts secured Garfield’s election. Historical records confirm Guiteau was indeed a failed lawyer who printed copies of a campaign speech and delivered it to a handful of people. He then felt entitled to a high-level diplomatic position, despite having no qualifications and being unknown to Garfield or his staff.
“I found it unspeakably tragic and moving, but also weirdly funny in a very dark way. It’s a tone that I tend to chase in the work that I take on,” said series creator Mike Makowsky about the true story.
The Strange But True Details
Some of the most unusual elements in the series are actually grounded in historical fact. Guiteau really did spend time at the Oneida Community, a free-love commune in New York where members practiced “Complex Marriage” and shared resources equally. True to the show’s depiction, Guiteau was reportedly celibate during his stay and nicknamed “Charlie Get-out” by women who rejected his advances.
The series also accurately shows Guiteau’s bizarre behavior following his arrest. Before his execution, he indeed recited a poem called “I Am Going to the Lordy,” which he had written that same morning.
The medical treatment President Garfield received after being shot was arguably more fatal than the bullet itself. Doctors repeatedly probed his wound with unsterilized instruments and hands, leading to severe infections that ultimately caused his death on September 19, 1881 – nearly 80 days after the shooting.
Political Background and Lasting Impact
The series accurately portrays the fierce political divisions within the Republican Party between the Stalwarts, who supported the spoils system of awarding government jobs to loyal supporters, and the Half-Breeds, who pushed for civil service reform based on merit.
Garfield’s assassination had profound historical consequences. His death led to the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883, which fundamentally changed how government positions were awarded and reduced the corruption of the spoils system.
The title “Death by Lightning” itself comes from an actual letter Garfield wrote, where he stated that “assassination can no more be guarded against than death by lightning.”
When the Series Takes Creative License
While the major historical events are accurate, the series does take some creative liberties with specific scenes and dialogue. Many character interactions and conversations are necessarily created for dramatic purposes, as complete records don’t exist for every moment.
Some timelines are compressed for narrative flow, and the series uses occasionally anachronistic language to make the 19th-century story more accessible to modern audiences. Certain supporting characters are combined or simplified to serve the limited series format.
The show also imagines some private moments between historical figures where the exact details aren’t recorded, though these scenes remain true to the characters’ known personalities and relationships.
A Faithful Adaptation of a Forgotten History
Death by Lightning succeeds in bringing attention to a president often overlooked in popular history. James Garfield served only 199 days in office, and his potential for leadership was cut short by both an assassin’s bullet and medical ignorance of the time.
The series stays remarkably true to the core events while making necessary adaptations for television. As one review noted, the story feels particularly relevant today as it explores themes of political division, mental health, and the unpredictable nature of history.
The series is based on Candice Millard’s acclaimed nonfiction book “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President,” which extensively documents these historical events.
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