Assassination of William McKinley



The William McKinley assassination took place on September 6, 1901, in Buffalo, New York. President McKinley, attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, was shot twice by Leon Frank Czolgosz, an anarchist. McKinley initially appeared to be recovering from his wounds, but took a turn for the worse six days after the shooting and died on September 14, 1901. McKinley was the third of four American presidents to be assassinated, following Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and James Garfield in 1881 and preceding John F. Kennedy in 1963. After McKinley's murder Congress would officially charge the United States Secret Service with the physcial protection of American presidents.

McKinley at the Exposition
McKinley arrived at the Exposition on September 5. September 5 was designated "President's Day" in his honor. Events scheduled for that day included private receptions and a military review as well as a speech given by McKinley.

On the 6th McKinley visited Niagra Falls in the morning and returned to the Exposition for a public reception in the afternoon. His secretary, George B. Cortelyou, disliked such public receptions, believing them to be security risks. Cortelyou specifically asked McKinley to skip the reception at the Exposition, but McKinley replied, "Why should I? No one would wish to hurt me." McKinley, accompanied by Cortelyou and Exposition president John Milburn, arrived at the Exposition at 3:30 and went to the Temple of Music building, where the reception was to take place.

References and external links

 * Olcott, Charles. The Life of William McKinley.  Houghton Mifflin company, Boston, 1916.  Available here.
 * McKinley Assassination Ink. Comprehensive collection of primary source materials on the McKinley assassination
 * "Lights out in the City of Light"; Anarchy and Assassination at the Pan-American Exposition