Netflix's Death by Lightning rewrites Chester Arthur's rise to power

A new Netflix series, Death by Lightning, explores the dramatic rise of Chester Arthur to the US presidency. The show takes creative liberties with historical events, blending fact and fiction around the 1881 assassination of President James Garfield. While the series offers entertainment, key details differ from the real story.

Chester Arthur became president in 1881 after Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau, a deranged office-seeker. The two men had met only once during the campaign, contrary to the series’ suggestion of frequent encounters. Arthur, a former New York political figure, was no longer the Collector of the Port of New York by 1880—he had been removed two years earlier amid corruption allegations.

The series also misrepresents Arthur’s personal life. His wife, Ellen Herndon Arthur, died in 1880 before the election, but she held no strong Confederate ties despite her southern background. Unlike the show’s portrayal, Arthur was a well-liked socialite with no confirmed infidelity or heavy drinking. His political career was shaped by his role in the Republican Party’s Stalwart faction, not progressive ideals. Julia Sand, a New Yorker, played a real but lesser-known role in Arthur’s life. Her letters encouraged his self-reform, not Lucretia Garfield, as depicted. Additionally, Roscoe Conkling, the powerful New York machine boss, initially opposed Arthur’s vice-presidential nomination—contrary to the idea that he orchestrated it. James Blaine, the presidential nominee, neither selected Arthur nor supported his candidacy. One of the series’ most dramatic claims—that Arthur kidnapped Garfield’s cabinet nominees—has no basis in fact. The political rivalry between Garfield’s Half-Breed faction and Arthur’s Stalwarts was fierce, but no such extreme measures occurred.

Netflix’s Death by Lightning brings attention to a pivotal moment in US history, though it alters key facts for storytelling. Chester Arthur’s presidency began under tragic circumstances, but his path to power was shaped by political manoeuvring rather than the dramatic conspiracies shown on screen. The series serves as entertainment, not a strict historical record.