Who Was the Real Chester Arthur – and His Relationship with James Garfield
When President James Garfield was assassinated in 1881, his vice president, Chester A. Arthur, unexpectedly rose to the presidency amid deep public skepticism. Once viewed as a product of party patronage and political favoritism, Arthur confounded expectations after taking office.
From Distrust to Leadership
At the time of Garfield’s shooting in July 1881, few Americans believed Arthur had the skill or the integrity to manage the national crisis. Known in New York Republican circles as a bureaucrat tied to machine politics, he inspired little confidence among citizens or reformers.
Garfield’s death from his wounds later that year placed Arthur in the most public and challenging role of his career — the 21st President of the United States.
Arthur’s Legacy in Modern Depiction
The complex story of Arthur’s transformation and his unexpected rise to leadership resurfaces in Netflix’s 2025 drama Death by Lightning. The series centers on Garfield’s assassination, with Michael Shannon portraying Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as Charles Guiteau, the disgruntled political aspirant who shot him.
Nick Offerman plays Chester Arthur, depicted as a party loyalist thrust into overwhelming responsibility — a man known for his social life and political enforcement, now forced to redefine himself on the national stage.
Author’s Summary
Arthur’s path from distrusted party operative to unexpected statesman reveals a quiet resilience often overlooked in American political history.