The Assassination of President William McKinley

Political Climate

The political climate leading up to President William McKinley's assassination was fraught with anarchism and political unrest. Gary Arndt explains how Leon Czolgosz, inspired by anarchist leaders and the assassination of King Umberto I of Italy, decided to kill McKinley 1. He meticulously planned the assassination, purchasing the same model revolver used in the Italian assassination and targeting McKinley at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York 1.

Czolgosz waited in line to meet the president until it was his turn. When he got to the front of the line, the president extended his hand to him. Czolgosz, however, pulled out his gun and fired two shots point blank at the president.

--- Gary Arndt

The immediate aftermath saw Czolgosz being subdued by James Parker, a man born into slavery, and other nearby police and soldiers 1.

   

McKinley's Presidency

William McKinley's presidency was marked by significant achievements and policies that reshaped the United States. Gary Arndt notes that McKinley's election in 1896 led to a reordering of the U.S. political system and his administration saw the U.S. enter the Spanish-American War, its first foreign conflict 2. Under his leadership, the U.S. acquired territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, and the Philippines 2.

The McKinley administration also began an ill-fated attempt at trying to become a colonial power, gaining territories outside of North America for the first time.

--- Gary Arndt

Despite his accomplishments, McKinley is not as well-remembered as other presidents, which Arndt finds surprising given his popularity and the fact that he was assassinated while in office 2.