Assassination of William McKinley

McKinley was attending a public reception at the Exposition’s Temple of Music, greeting visitors in a receiving line despite security concerns raised by his staff. The event was intended to demonstrate American progress and prosperity, with McKinley’s presence highlighting the nation’s confidence following victory in the Spanish-American War.

At 4:07 PM, Czolgosz approached McKinley with his right hand wrapped in a handkerchief concealing a .32-caliber Iver Johnson revolver. When McKinley extended his hand in greeting, Czolgosz fired two shots at point-blank range. The first bullet struck a button on McKinley’s coat and caused only a minor wound, but the second penetrated his abdomen and lodged near his pancreas.

Czolgosz, a 28-year-old factory worker from Ohio, had been radicalized by anarchist literature and speeches, particularly those of Emma Goldman, though Goldman denied any direct influence on his actions. He later told investigators he killed McKinley because he believed all rulers were enemies of the working class and that assassination was justified as political action.

Secret Service agents and exposition guards immediately subdued Czolgosz, with some witnesses reporting that spectators attempted to beat him before being restrained. McKinley, conscious and reportedly concerned about the reaction against his attacker, asked that Czolgosz not be harmed and expressed worry that the incident would reflect poorly on the exposition.

Initial medical treatment appeared successful, with doctors optimistic about McKinley’s recovery. However, gangrene developed along the bullet’s path, likely due to inadequate surgical cleaning and the bullet’s trajectory through the stomach and pancreas. McKinley died on September 14, 1901, with Vice President Theodore Roosevelt becoming president at age 42.

Czolgosz’s trial began on September 23 and lasted only eight days, with his court-appointed lawyers mounting minimal defense despite evidence of his mental instability. He was executed by electric chair on October 29, 1901, refusing to appeal his conviction and maintaining that his action was justified political protest.

The assassination led to enhanced presidential security measures and prompted Congress to make threatening the president a federal crime, while the rapid prosecution raised later questions about due process and the adequacy of Czolgosz’s legal representation.