Topics in Chronicling America - The McKinley Assassination

President William McKinley dies on September 14, 1901 of complications from bullet wounds inflicted by Leon Czolgosz. Czolgosz, an anarchist, shot the President during one of his public appearances at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Initially doctors believed that President McKinley would survive the assassination attempt even though only one bullet was able to be removed. Read more about it!

The information and sample article links below provide access to a sampling of articles from historic newspapers that can be found in the Chronicling America: American Historic Newspapers digital collection (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/). Use the Suggested Search Terms and Dates to explore this topic further in Chronicling America.

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• September 6, 1901. President William McKinley is shot at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. Anarchist Leon Czolgosz is arrested in connection with the attack.
• September 14, 1901. McKinley dies of complications from his bullet wounds. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt assumes the presidency.
• September 15, 1901. A funeral train carrying McKinley’s casket travels from Buffalo to the Capitol in Washington, DC, and finally to Ohio, where McKinley is buried.
• September 23, 1901. Czolgosz’s trial begins. Three days later, the jury finds him guilty and sentences him to death. October 29, 1901. Czolgosz is executed.

Suggested Search Strategies:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] McKinley, Czolgosz, Roosevelt, assassinated, trial, anarchist, executed, funeral

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "Chief Executive Victim of Most Cowardly Anarchist," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), September 7, 1901, Page 2, Image 2, col. 1.
• "Assassin Under Arrest," The Akron Daily Democrat (Akron, OH), September 7, 1901, Page 1, Image 11, col. 1.
• "The Dead President's Life Story -- Expressions by Public Men," The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, MO), September 14, 1901, Page 2, Image 2, col. 1.
• "M'Kinley is Shot Down," Chicago Eagle (Chicago, IL), September 14, 1901, Image 2, Page 1, col. 1.
• "The President Passes Away," The Washington Times (Washington, DC), September 14, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "William McKinley, President. A Life Full of Triumphs," The Minneapolis Journal (Minneapolis, MN), September 14, 1901, Page 13, Image 13, col. 1.
• "New President of the United States and Mistress of the White House," The Times (Richmond, VA), September 14, 1901, Page 3, Image 3, col. 1.
• "Theodore Roosevelt is now President of the United States," The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), September 15, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "The Funeral Begins," The New York Tribune (New York, NY), September 16, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 5.
• "McKinley is Dead; Roosevelt Sworn In," The Hopkinsville Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, KY), September 17, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 2.
• "President M'Kinley is Dead," The Hocking Sentinel (Logan, Ohio), September 19, 1901, Page 2, Image 2, col. 2.
• "The Nation Mourns the Death of its Beloved President, William McKinley," The Honolulu Republican (Honolulu, HI), September 25, 1901, Image 1, Page 1, col. 1.
• "Czolgosz is Found Guilty of Murder in First Degree," The Richmond Dispatch (Richmond, VA), September 25, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Leon Czolgosz Sentenced to Die," The Houston Daily Post (Houston, TX), September 27, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 2.
• "Assassin Czolgosz Pays Death Penalty in the Electric Chair at Auburn Prison," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), October 29, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.