The history of U.S. presidential assassinations and assassination attempts is filled with notable incidents that have dramatically impacted the nation. Four sitting U.S. presidents have been assassinated, while numerous others have faced attempts on their lives. These events highlight not only the dangers of the presidency but also the intense political tensions that have existed throughout American history.
### 1. **Abraham Lincoln (1865)**
Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. president to be assassinated. On April 14, 1865, just days after the Civil War ended, Lincoln was shot by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Booth’s goal was to destabilize the Union by killing its leader. Lincoln died the next morning, and Booth was killed during a manhunt several days later. Lincoln’s assassination profoundly impacted the Reconstruction era and the course of post-Civil War America.
### 2. **James A. Garfield (1881)**
The second assassination occurred on July 2, 1881, when President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a disgruntled office seeker. Guiteau believed he was owed a diplomatic post in Europe due to his support of Garfield’s candidacy, and when he was denied, he sought revenge. Garfield was shot twice but survived the initial attack. However, inadequate medical care, including infection from unsterilized instruments, led to his death on September 19, 1881, after months of suffering. His assassination prompted significant civil service reform, culminating in the Pendleton Act of 1883, which established a merit-based system for federal employment.
### 3. **William McKinley (1901)**
President William McKinley was assassinated on September 6, 1901, by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist who opposed McKinley’s pro-business policies. Czolgosz shot McKinley at close range while the president was attending a public reception in Buffalo, New York. McKinley initially seemed to recover, but gangrene developed in his wounds, and he died on September 14, 1901. McKinley’s assassination brought Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency and influenced a shift in U.S. politics toward more progressive reforms.
### 4. **John F. Kennedy (1963)**
The assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, is perhaps the most well-known and controversial in U.S. history. Kennedy was shot while riding in a motorcade through Dallas, Texas. The accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was apprehended shortly after the shooting but was himself killed two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. Kennedy’s death shocked the world and led to numerous conspiracy theories about the nature of the assassination, which persist to this day. The official Warren Commission concluded that Oswald acted alone, but skepticism remains among a significant portion of the public. Kennedy’s assassination marked a pivotal moment in the political and cultural history of the United States.
### **Notable Assassination Attempts**
While only four presidents have been assassinated, there have been numerous assassination attempts, some of which came frighteningly close to success.
### 1. **Andrew Jackson (1835)**
Andrew Jackson survived the first-ever assassination attempt on a sitting U.S. president. On January 30, 1835, Richard Lawrence, a mentally ill man, attempted to shoot Jackson outside the Capitol. Both of Lawrence’s pistols misfired, and Jackson, known for his fiery temper, beat Lawrence with his cane. Jackson’s survival was seen as almost miraculous, given that the odds of both pistols misfiring were highly improbable. The incident highlighted concerns about presidential security, though it did not result in immediate reforms.
### 2. **Theodore Roosevelt (1912)**
Although no longer president at the time, Theodore Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt during his 1912 campaign for a third term under the Progressive Party. On October 14, 1912, John Schrank shot Roosevelt in Milwaukee. The bullet hit Roosevelt in the chest but was slowed by a folded speech and his metal eyeglass case, which he was carrying in his jacket pocket. Despite the injury, Roosevelt insisted on delivering his 90-minute speech before seeking medical attention. He survived the attempt, but the bullet remained lodged in his body for the rest of his life.
### 3. **Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933)**
Before Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Miami on February 15, 1933. Giuseppe Zangara, an unemployed bricklayer, fired several shots at Roosevelt during a speech. Though Roosevelt was unharmed, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was killed. Zangara claimed he hated all political leaders and that his actions were not personally directed at Roosevelt. The attempt occurred during a time of deep economic despair during the Great Depression, adding to the tense political atmosphere.
### 4. **Gerald Ford (1975)**
Gerald Ford faced two separate assassination attempts within 17 days in September 1975. The first attempt occurred on September 5, when Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, pointed a pistol at Ford in Sacramento, California. Secret Service agents subdued her before she could fire. On September 22, Sara Jane Moore, a political radical, fired at Ford in San Francisco but missed. Both women were arrested and convicted. These events led to increased concerns over presidential security and led to changes in Secret Service protocols.
### 5. **Ronald Reagan (1981)**
On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan outside a Washington, D.C. hotel. Hinckley shot Reagan in an effort to impress actress Jodie Foster. Reagan was hit by a bullet that ricocheted off his limousine and struck him in the chest. Three others, including Press Secretary James Brady, were also wounded in the attack. Brady’s severe injuries later spurred significant changes in gun control laws, including the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. Reagan survived and returned to the White House just weeks later.
### **Conclusion**
The history of U.S. presidential assassinations and attempts illustrates the profound risks associated with the office and the impact these events have had on American society and governance. The assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy, in particular, left lasting scars on the nation, while failed attempts like those on Andrew Jackson, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan highlighted vulnerabilities in presidential security. The response to these incidents often led to reforms, whether in civil service, gun control, or the enhancement of security protocols.
