A Presidential Historian Explains What to Know Before Watching "Death by Lightning"
The Netflix limited series Death by Lightning sheds light on the overlooked story of President James A. Garfield and his successor, Chester A. Arthur. Throughout history, presidential discussions often focus on figures like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Jackson, the Roosevelts, Kennedy, and Reagan. Yet names such as Arthur and Garfield rarely make it into popular conversation.
The 1880s marked an era of political corruption and moral fatigue in post-Reconstruction America. Amid this climate rose James Abram Garfield, a classics scholar from Ohio, a Civil War general, and a nine-term congressman. He led the 42nd Ohio Infantry with integrity and courage, carrying both intellect and conscience into his public life.
“We should not nominate a man whom we can carry, but one who can carry us.”
With these words at the Republican convention in Chicago, Garfield unexpectedly captured the nomination. Thirty-six ballots later, the reluctant professor-soldier became the nation’s compromise candidate and, ultimately, its 20th president.
Author’s Summary
The series reclaims two forgotten leaders—Garfield and Arthur—showing how intellect, circumstance, and history converged in a pivotal but neglected chapter of American politics.