September 6, 1901, was supposed to be an average day, but it was then that New York and the entire country were plunged into mourning and dismay. On that day, William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, was killed at a public event in Buffalo, NY. This horrific incident struck millions of people and forever changed the course of history, leaving a deep impact on America and its politics. Read more at new-york-yes.
About William McKinley
William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, held this post from 1897 until his passing in 1901.
McKinley was born in Niles in 1843. He attended the best school in his town and then went on to study at the Poland Seminary, Allegheny College and Mount Union College. However, due to illness, he did not complete his studies and was employed as a postal clerk. He also worked as a teacher for some time.
W. McKinley fought in the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865. He became the only person in history to start his military service as a common soldier and end up as a brevet major. After returning from the war in 1865, McKinley began practicing law. He got married and started a family. It seemed like everything was going well in his life. Even his career was on the rise. In 1876, he was voted into Congress, where he worked as a Republican expert on protective tariffs. McKinley believed that he could contribute to the country’s prosperity, while other experts had another opinion. He faced strong opposition from a large-scale campaign, which led to his defeat in the elections in 1890.
In 1891, McKinley was elected as the governor of Ohio. In this position, he pursued a moderate policy, navigating the capital and labor interests. In 1896, he was able to run for the presidency in the midst of a severe economic recession. William won and promised his voters that he would return high tariffs and prosperity to the country.
A fateful day for the whole country
William McKinley remained the President of America for four years. September 6, 1901, became a life-changing day for McKinley and the whole nation.
In September 1901, McKinley set off for the scheduled Pan-American Exposition, dedicated to technological advancements and international relations. It took place in Buffalo, New York. In his fourth year as the country’s leader, McKinley was known for his friendliness as well as smart and progressive policies. At that time, he was extremely popular, but all of this was ruined in one second.
According to protocol, a high-ranking guest that is the President of the United States had to deliver a speech at the exposition. This event was planned to take place at the Temple of Music. It was crowded with people who wanted to hear and see the president. Despite such a mass gathering, the security of the president and the visitors was ensured at the highest level.
But in a huge crowd, there was one man named Leon Czolgosz. He was a self-proclaimed anarchist hostile towards the US government and, in particular, political figures. That’s why he plotted the assassination. Czolgosz hid a .32-gauge gun in a handkerchief in his right hand and stood in line to greet McKinley and shake his hand.
When it was Czolgosz’s turn, the friendly and amiable President extended his hand to him. At that moment, the killer fired two shots. The first bullet grazed the president’s shoulder, and the second hit his abdomen, causing severe internal injury.
McKinley was hospitalized and underwent emergency surgery to remove the bullet and the wound. His condition improved over the next few days, but by September 13, 1901, it critically deteriorated. Doctors were unsure of his prognosis but recognized that the situation was hopeless. Unfortunately, the surgical methods of that period were unable to save him from the infection that had spread throughout his body. As a result of the gunshot wound, gangrene had formed on the walls of his stomach, slowly poisoning his blood.
Late at night on September 14, 1901, the heart of the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, stopped beating.
McKinley’s assassin, Czolgosz, was arrested and put to trial. Subsequently, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to death. Czolgosz was executed on September 29, 1901, by means of the electric chair.
The motive behind the murder
The reasons for the assassination of the 25th President of the United States were exclusively based on Czolgosz’s personal beliefs and political ideologies. It should be noted that the president’s killer was an anarchist who believed in the complete abolition of any government and authority. He was influenced by anarchist thinkers of that time and profoundly detested government officials, especially those in leadership positions. Czolgosz thought that the death of McKinley would advance the anarchist cause.
When compassing the murder, Czolgosz was also driven by his vision of inequality and social injustice in the country at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century. In his opinion, the government, including President McKinley, was involved in perpetuating this inequality and killing him would somehow solve these problems.
According to some historians, the president’s killer was thirsty for fame and wanted to become a martyr for the anarchist cause. Czolgosz believed that McKinley’s death would draw attention to his anarchistic convictions and ideology.
The assassination of President William McKinley in NY in 1901 remains one of the darkest chapters in American history. Such an act of violence serves as a reminder of the fragility of democracy and the importance of reinforced security.