The Open and Hidden Secrets of America’s Historical Assassinations: From Lincoln to Kennedy.
New US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday (February 25) requiring US officials to release documents related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the 35th US President, within 15 days.
After Trump’s ruling, the question arose in the public mind as to which US presidents have been assassinated to date and whether the details related to their murder cases have been revealed or remain shrouded in mystery.
1. Abraham Lincoln
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, occurred on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln was watching the comedy Our American Cousin when he was shot by John Wilkes Booth, an actor and staunch supporter of the Southern Confederacy.
Dissatisfied with the Confederate defeat in the American Civil War (1861–1865), Booth decided to kill Lincoln and thus dealt a blow to the Union government. The assassination occurred in the final nights of the Civil War when Union victory in the war was almost certain.
John Wilkes Booth was a well-known figure in American theater and came from a family of actors, but his political beliefs led him to plot to assassinate Lincoln. After Lincoln’s assassination, Booth quickly fled the scene and went into hiding in Maryland. A massive manhunt ensued, and Booth was eventually cornered and killed on a farm near Brandonton, Virginia, on April 26, 1865.
Lincoln’s assassination was not only a devastating blow to the American nation but also triggered political and social changes. Lincoln’s assassination led to the election of Vice President Andrew Johnson to the presidency. Johnson, who had advocated a soft policy toward the South, faced intense opposition from Congress, and his presidency was marked by numerous political and social crises. Lincoln’s assassination was a turning point in American history, profoundly affecting the process of Reconstruction and the distribution of power in the country.
2. James Garfield
The assassination of James A. Garfield, the 21st President of the United States, occurred on July 2, 1881. Garfield, who had only been in office for six months, was shot at Union Station in Washington, D.C., by Charles J. Guiteau, a disillusioned and unsuccessful candidate for public office. Guiteau, frustrated by his failure to secure public office, decided to kill Garfield. He approached Garfield and fired a shot at close range. The bullet struck the president in the side.
Although Garfield initially survived and even recovered, his wounds were so severe that they ultimately led to his death. Garfield died after two months of suffering on September 19, 1881. The assassination had a profound impact on American history and led to changes in the medical system and presidential security.
Garfield’s killer was arrested tried and sentenced to death for murder. He was executed in 1882. In addition to ensuring greater security for the president, Garfield’s assassination indirectly led to administrative reforms in the American employment system. In 1883, the Pendleton Act was passed, which replaced the cronyism system with a meritocracy in government employment, and from then on, government positions were to be awarded through merit tests rather than based on political connections.
3. William McKinley
The assassination of William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, occurred on September 6, 1901, in Buffalo, New York. McKinley was attending the Panamanian Exposition, which was held to showcase the nation’s industrial and commercial advancements. The expo was a good opportunity for the president to meet with ordinary people. On the same day, a man named Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist and opponent of McKinley’s policies secretly entered the line of people meeting the president and, at the right moment, assassinated McKinley by shooting him twice in the chest and abdomen.
McKinley was rushed to the hospital and initially ,his condition seemed promising, but after a few days, due to infection from his wounds and improper treatment, his condition deteriorated sharply and he died on September 14, 1901. The assassination was a great shock to the United States at the time, as McKinley was a popular president who had successfully led the country out of the Spanish-American War (1898) and had given the country international power.
McKinley’s assassin was quickly tried and sentenced to death after his arrest. He confessed that he had assassinated because of his anarchist beliefs. The assassination also led to increased concerns about the security of the president and the security responsibilities of the US government. After McKinley’s assassination, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt became president, and his presidency was marked by many reforms.
The incident also had a great impact on US security policies. After McKinley’s assassination, security measures to protect the president increased significantly, and the process of protecting high-ranking government officials became a vital issue. McKinley’s assassination also had the effect of changing public attitudes toward anarchism and anti-government movements, leading to increased repression and surveillance of anarchist groups in the United States.
4. John F. Kennedy
The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, occurred on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was shot while driving through the streets of Dallas in a presidential motorcade. He was driving through the city in a convertible with his wife, Jackie Kennedy, when Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marxist and former prisoner, fired three shots at the president. One shot hit Kennedy in the neck and the other in the head, fatally wounding him. Kennedy was rushed to the hospital, but he died of his injuries at 1:00 PM that same day.
The assassination considered one of the most significant events in American history, not only shocked the nation but also had a profound impact on domestic and foreign policy. The assassination led to Lyndon B. Johnson, the vice president at the time, would immediately assuming the presidency, ending Kennedy’s presidency abruptly and unexpectedly.
Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of killing Kennedy, was killed just two days after the assassination by nightclub owner Jack Ruby while being transported to prison. Oswald’s death fueled speculation and conspiracy theories. Many people are still searching for the real reasons behind the assassination and possibly other roles, as there is various evidence and research that points to the existence of a larger conspiracy. The Warren Commission, which was formed to investigate the incident, concluded that Oswald had carried out the assassination alone, but many people and scholars are still skeptical of this report.
Kennedy’s assassination not only had a major political and social impact on America but also led to major cultural and historical changes. This incident was a turning point in American history and remains in the minds of many people to this day. It remains to be seen what dimensions of the case will be revealed after Trump issues a decree to disclose the details of the case.