Assassinations of US Presidents: A Look Back at the Tragedies of American History
The grim history of presidential assassinations in the United States
After the shooting of former President Donald J. Trump Senior (R-Florida) on July 13, 2024, during a campaign speech, there was great consternation. Many questions arise, such as how the shooter was able to get within range of Trump in the first place.
I don’t want to go into the details of the assassination in this article. Rather, I am glad and grateful that Trump was not seriously harmed. It is unthinkable what would have happened if the shooter had succeeded.
Following current events, I went looking for other assassination attempts on US presidents in history and found that they were not so rare. In fact, you could say that there is almost a kind of tradition. So let’s take a look at history.
Abraham Lincoln: the first assassinated president
Abraham Lincoln (R-Illinois) was the 16th President of the United States (1861–1865) and also the first to be assassinated.
He came from a humble background. The second of three children, he was born in a log cabin. His rise to the presidency was therefore quite impressive. Trained as a lawyer, he took a seat in the Illinois state parliament in 1839. There he acquired the nickname Honest Abe and became known as a sincere and righteous advocate of freedom.
His presidency was characterized by the American Civil War. Lincoln’s primary goal was to preserve the Union. Lincoln’s success ensured that slavery was abolished in America and thus helped the many African-Americans to gain full civil rights on paper.
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., by John Wilkes Booth. Booth was a well-known actor and ardent secessionist who may have been involved in Confederate covert operations. He could not accept the defeat of the Southern states in the Civil War and wanted to prevent Lincoln’s re-election at all costs. The assassination took place just a few days after the surrender of the Confederate Armies.
Various voices suspect that Booth did not act alone, but was part of a larger conspiracy. European banking dynasties, Confederate leaders, and even the Pope among the suspects. Bankers are suspected because Lincoln‘s administration used ’greenbacks (paper money or fiat currency)to finance the war instead of relying on bond sales and loans from foreign banks. In fact, several people were arrested and convicted, but whether there was a wider conspiracy remains unclear.
To this day, the assassination of the 16th US president continues to occupy historians, because the people behind it and their motives have not been fully clarified.
James A. Garfield: a tragic president with short terms in office
James A. Garfield (R-Ohio) is one of the most inconspicuous presidents in US history. He served only a few months in office in 1881 before falling victim to murder. Garfield served in the Union Army in the Civil War before his term of office and received several decorations there. He was an exemplary soldier who loved freedom and his country.
Garfield was a former US Speaker of the House of Representatives. In politics, he represented conservative positions. He campaigned strongly for educational reform, believed that adherence to the gold standard was the only correct monetary policy, was an advocate of civil rights for African Americans, and supported the full integration of former slaves into society.
On July 2, 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Washington, D.C. train station. Guiteau was no stranger to Garfield. He had written a campaign speech for the then presidential candidate, which he had never delivered. Guiteau also had free access to the main Republican building on Fifth Avenue.
The assassin therefore had daily contact with the president, but had never attracted any negative attention. His physical instability is often cited as a motive for Guiteau’s attack. He would have been so disappointed by the rejection of his speech manuscript that he sought revenge. Another theory is that Guiteau was angry because Garfield did not appoint him to a federal job such as a diplomatic post. It is still not clear whether drugs or backers played a part in this.
Garfield initially survived the assassination attempt. However, he was seriously injured and required constant care. Although doctors and the press were optimistic after the first days, the 49-year-old succumbed to his injuries on September 19, 1881.
William McKinley: The assassination of the President of the Industrial Revolution
The 25th President of the United States, William McKinley (R-Ohio), was born in Ohio in 1843. He attended Allegheny College, but had to drop out due to financial difficulties. After McKinley served in the Union Army in the Civil War, he began studying law and embarked on a political career in the House of Representatives. There he exerted great influence on economic and customs policy.
His presidency lasted from 1897 to 1901. McKinley advocated high tariffs to protect the production of domestic industry. He also completed the annexation of Hawaii, led the United States to victory in the Spanish American War, made the Philippines a US colony, started the Philippine-American War, annexed Puerto Rico, and supported the gold standard.
On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot by Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Czolgosz was inspired by anarchist ideologies and saw McKinley as a symbol of oppression.
Immediately after the attack, it looked like Mckinley might survive the shooting. But in the course of eight days he succumbed to his injuries. He was 58 years old.
John F. Kennedy: probably the most famous assassination attempt
There is hardly an American who has not heard of John F. Kennedy Senior (D-Massachusetts) and the theories surrounding his assassination. Kennedy was the 35th President of the USA (1961–1963) and came from an influential family. Kennedy’s father, Joseph P. Kennedy Senior was America’s richest man at one point.
Kennedy’s brothers, Robert F. Kennedy Senior (D-New York) and Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), had significant political careers of their own. Notably, all three brothers ran for president. Current third-party presidential Robert F. Kennedy Junior (?-California) is JFK’s nephew.
Despite his short time in office, he had a major influence on American domestic and foreign policy.
Kennedy prevented an escalation of the Cold War during the Cuban Missile Crisis, pushed with NASA’s space program, campaigned for civil rights, gave the ailing American economy a new boost with cuts, and promoted international understanding.
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas. Oswald, a former US Marine and Communist who had defected to the Soviet Union, was arrested shortly afterward. However, he himself was murdered shortly thereafter by gangster Jack Ruby.
The Kennedy assassination is the one most surrounded by conspiracy theories. Theories range from the involvement of the CIA, to the Soviet KGB, and the Mafia to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The Warren Commission Report, which established that Oswald was the sole perpetrator, is doubted by many, and alternative theories continue to flourish. As for Oswald himself was murdered, before he could provide any information about his motives, meaning that the background to the assassination remains shrouded in mystery to this day.
Unsuccessful assassinations
In addition to the fatal attacks mentioned above, there were numerous other attempts to take out current or former presidents once and for all.
These included Andrew Jackson (D-Tennessee), Theodore Roosevelt (R-New York), Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-New York), Gerald R. Ford (R-Michigan) and Ronald Reagan (R-California). This means that assassination attempts on US presidents are not as rare as I would have thought. Especially since these are only the documented cases. How many attacks were planned and foiled? And which ones did we never find out about?
Conclusion
Assassinations of US presidents are an integral part of American history. I was surprised at how often such assassination attempts are documented.
The most recent failed assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump in July 2024 shows that this threat is still real today. It underscores the need for constant vigilance and effective safeguards to protect democratic institutions and their leaders.
This story was originally published on Medium.
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