History Of American Presidential Assassination-From Abraham Lincoln To John F. Kennedy

American political history has witnessed some of the most jolting moments in the form of presidential assassinations. These have been extreme episodes of political violence. However, not all of these attempts have been successful, and there have been some presidents who escaped unharmed.

From ideological conflicts to revenge, the motives for assassination attempts on the U.S. head of state have been vast. Since the early 19th century, a total of four sitting U.S. presidents have been killed in assassinations.

The 16th U.S. president became the first in history to be assassinated. The infamous incident unfolded away from the White House and took place at Ford’s Theatre in Washington on April 14, 1865.

John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor, was identified as the assassin. According to records, he had long planned to abduct Lincoln in exchange for the release of Confederate prisoners. However, he chose to kill him instead after hearing the presidential speech about voting rights for African Americans.

At Ford’s Theatre on the fateful day, Lincoln attended a performance of Our American Cousin. While the president was seated in his box with his wife, Mary, Booth made his move. He entered the box and fired one shot into the back of Lincoln’s head. Lincoln died the following day after remaining in a coma for nine hours.

The 20th U.S. president, James A. Garfield, was assassinated on July 2, 1881. The tragedy occurred less than four months after he took office. On that day, President Garfield had arrived at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station when he was shot.

Charles J. Guiteau, a writer and lawyer, used a .442-caliber Webley British Bulldog revolver to carry out the attack and fired two rounds. While one grazed the president’s shoulder, the other pierced his back. Garfield was rushed for medical treatment, where he suffered immense pain over the next 11 weeks.

However, he succumbed to complications from infections resulting from the continuous probing of the wound by doctors. They allegedly used unsterilized fingers and instruments, leading to his death 79 days later.

William McKinley became the third U.S. president to be assassinated. On Sept. 6, 1901, he was attending the Pan-American Exposition, a major world’s fair of the time. He was fatally shot at close range in the abdomen.

The assassin, later identified as Leon Czolgosz, was known to be an anarchist armed with a revolver. He had concealed the firearm under a handkerchief as he approached McKinley. While the first bullet struck one of the buttons on the president’s jacket, the second hit him in the stomach.

After being hospitalized, it initially appeared that McKinley was on the road to recovery. But his health soon declined rapidly, and the president developed gangrene around his wounds. He died on Sept. 14, 1901.

The last of the U.S. presidents killed in an assassination was John F. Kennedy. On Nov. 22, 1963, he was in a presidential motorcade that traveled through Dealey Plaza. He was accompanied by his wife, Jacqueline, along with Texas Gov. John Connally and his wife.

The gunman, who initially remained unseen, fired two shots at the motorcade, both of which struck Kennedy. He was hit once in the back, and the bullet exited through his throat. A second bullet struck him in the head. The governor was seriously wounded, as was a bystander.

Kennedy was rushed to nearby Parkland Memorial Hospital after the shooting, where he was declared dead later that afternoon. The assassin was identified as Lee Harvey Oswald, a former U.S. Marine who had defected to the Soviet Union and later returned.