By 1812Blockhouse
Netflix’s new historical drama, Death by Lightning, brings an unexpected local connection into the national spotlight. John Sherman, one of Mansfield’s most influential 19th-century figures, appears in the series portrayed by British actor Alistair Petrie. The show focuses on the turbulent months surrounding President James A. Garfield’s rise and assassination, and Sherman’s role fits squarely into that story.
A Presidential Bid That Changed Political History
Sherman is shown as Secretary of the Treasury, entering the 1880 Republican National Convention with real expectations of winning the nomination. That part is true. Sherman, already a well-established Ohio politician, went into the convention as one of three major contenders alongside Ulysses S. Grant and James G. Blaine.
What Death by Lightning hints at—though the real story is even more dramatic—is how Sherman’s campaign strategy opened the door for someone else. He asked fellow Ohioan James A. Garfield to serve as his floor manager and to deliver the nominating speech on his behalf. Garfield agreed, seeing himself as a supporting player rather than a candidate.
But as the convention dragged through ballot after ballot, delegates grew restless. Sherman couldn’t consolidate support. Blaine stalled. Grant’s faction held firm but couldn’t expand. Garfield, meanwhile, kept making calm, reasoned appeals for unity. His reputation for fairness did more for him than any behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
When the moment came, delegates began drifting toward Garfield as the compromise choice. Sherman eventually released his supporters to back Garfield, and Garfield won the nomination on the 36th ballot. Without Sherman’s choice of campaign manager and his eventual endorsement, Garfield’s nomination—and later presidency—may never have happened.
The series leans into this turning point, showing how personal relationships and unexpected circumstances shaped a national election.
Mansfield’s Influence on a National Figure
While Sherman was born in Lancaster in 1823, Mansfield became his home early in adulthood. He moved here to study law with his brother—Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman—and quickly carved out a place in the town’s legal and civic circles. His marriage to Margaret Cecilia Stewart, the daughter of a local judge, strengthened those ties.
Sherman launched his political career from Mansfield in 1854 when he was elected to Congress as one of the first Republicans ever sent to Washington. He went on to serve in the U.S. Senate, then as Secretary of the Treasury under President Rutherford B. Hayes, and later as Secretary of State under President William McKinley.
Even as his responsibilities grew, Sherman returned often to Mansfield. During the Civil War, he helped coordinate recruitment efforts from here. His home, long since demolished, once stood as a point of civic pride. The city later honored him through memorials, a park, and street names. The Sherman’s Estate Historic District honors the man by preserving historic houses near his former home.
Why Sherman’s Story Still Matters Here
Sherman never made it to the White House, but Mansfield remembers him as one of its most influential sons—someone who shaped both local life and national policy. The Netflix portrayal introduces him to new audiences, but residents here have long known his importance.
He was a driving force behind the Sherman Antitrust Act, a central piece of legislation still taught in American history classes. He helped stabilize the nation’s finances after Reconstruction. And he stood at the center of one of the most dramatic presidential conventions in American politics.
For Mansfield, seeing Sherman depicted on screen feels like a small acknowledgment of a much larger legacy. It’s a reminder that this community once produced a man who came close to the presidency—and whose decisions helped shape the fate of another Ohioan who reached it.
