Presidential assassinations have profoundly shaped American history, altering the course of the nation and leaving lasting legacies.
While the United States has experienced numerous assassination attempts, only four presidents have been successfully assassinated while in office:
- Abraham Lincoln
- James A. Garfield
- William McKinley
- John F. Kennedy
Each of these tragic events had unique political and social consequences, influencing everything from government policies to security protocols.
The assassinations of each president were carried out by men with vastly different motives, ranging from personal grievances to ideological extremism. Yet, in each case, the country was left mourning a leader whose life was cut short by violence.
These assassinations not only shocked the nation but also served as turning points in American history, shaping the presidency and public perception of political leadership for generations to come.
U.S. Presidents Assassinated While in Office
1. Abraham Lincoln (16th President, 1861–1865)
- Date of Assassination: April 14, 1865
- Location: Ford’s Theatre, Washington, D.C.Assassin: John Wilkes Booth (Confederate sympathizer)
- Motive: Booth, a Southern actor and Confederate supporter, was enraged by Lincoln’s efforts to abolish slavery and preserve the Union. He sought to revive the Confederate cause by killing Lincoln and other top government officials.
- Aftermath: Lincoln died the next morning on April 15, 1865. Booth was killed in a standoff 12 days later. His co-conspirators were arrested and either executed or imprisoned.
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., by John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor and Confederate sympathizer.
The assassination took place just days after the Civil War effectively ended with General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House.
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Booth, enraged by Lincoln’s efforts to abolish slavery and preserve the Union, devised a plan to kill the president along with Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward in an attempt to destabilize the government.
Booth entered Lincoln’s theater box during a performance of Our American Cousin and shot him in the back of the head. He then jumped onto the stage, breaking his leg in the process, and fled. Lincoln was taken across the street to the Petersen House, where he died the following morning on April 15, 1865.
Booth eluded capture for 12 days before being cornered and killed in a Virginia barn. Several of his co-conspirators were arrested, tried, and executed for their roles in the plot.
Lincoln’s assassination shocked the nation, making him the first U.S. president to be murdered while in office. His death altered the course of Reconstruction and left the country mourning a leader who had sought unity and healing after the devastation of the Civil War.
2. James A. Garfield (20th President, 1881)
- Date of Assassination: July 2, 1881
- Location: Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, Washington, D.C.Assassin: Charles J. Guiteau (disgruntled office seeker)
- Motive: Guiteau was a mentally unstable man who believed he deserved a government appointment in Garfield’s administration. When he was rejected, he sought revenge.
- Aftermath: Garfield survived the shooting but suffered from infection due to poor medical treatment. He died on September 19, 1881. Guiteau was tried, found guilty, and executed in 1882.
James A. Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881, at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C., by Charles J. Guiteau, a disgruntled office seeker who believed he was owed a government job.
Guiteau had repeatedly sought an appointment within the Garfield administration but was consistently rejected. Convinced that Garfield’s removal would benefit the Republican Party, he stalked the president for weeks before shooting him twice as he prepared to board a train.
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Garfield was seriously wounded but did not die immediately. Instead, he lingered for more than two months as doctors unsuccessfully tried to remove the bullet.
Medical practices of the time, which lacked sterilization techniques, contributed to his declining health. The president eventually succumbed to blood poisoning and infection on September 19, 1881.
Guiteau was arrested at the scene, tried for murder, and executed by hanging the following year. Garfield’s assassination led to public outrage over the corrupt spoils system, prompting Congress to pass the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883, which restructured how government jobs were awarded and helped curb political patronage.
3. William McKinley (25th President, 1897–1901)
- Date of Assassination: September 6, 1901
- Location: Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, New York
- Assassin: Leon Czolgosz (anarchist)
- Motive: Czolgosz was inspired by anarchist ideology and believed that McKinley represented oppression and corporate greed.
- Aftermath: McKinley initially appeared to be recovering but died from gangrene on September 14, 1901. Czolgosz was executed in the electric chair on October 29, 1901.
William McKinley was assassinated on September 6, 1901, while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.
He was shot twice at close range by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist who believed that McKinley represented corporate greed and oppression. McKinley had been greeting the public in a receiving line when Czolgosz approached him, concealing a revolver beneath a handkerchief.
Despite being shot, McKinley initially seemed to be recovering, and doctors were optimistic about his chances of survival. However, gangrene set in around his wounds, and his condition deteriorated rapidly.
He died on September 14, 1901, just over a week after the shooting. His assassination deeply shocked the nation and led to heightened security measures for U.S. presidents.
Czolgosz, who showed no remorse for his crime, was convicted and executed in the electric chair on October 29, 1901. McKinley’s death ushered in the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, whose progressive policies significantly reshaped American politics.
4. John F. Kennedy (35th President, 1961–1963)
- Date of Assassination: November 22, 1963
- Location: Dallas, Texas (Dealey Plaza)
- Assassin: Lee Harvey Oswald (ex-Marine, communist sympathizer)
- Motive: Oswald’s exact motives remain debated, but he had defected to the Soviet Union before returning to the U.S. and was known for his radical political views.
- Aftermath: Kennedy died almost immediately. Oswald was arrested but was assassinated two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby before he could stand trial. Kennedy’s assassination remains one of the most investigated and debated events in U.S. history.
John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, while riding in an open-top motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.
As the car passed the Texas School Book Depository, shots rang out, striking Kennedy in the head and neck. He was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was an ex-Marine with a history of pro-Soviet and Marxist sympathies. He was arrested later that day but never stood trial, as he was shot and killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby two days later while in police custody.
Kennedy’s assassination remains one of the most investigated and debated events in American history, with numerous conspiracy theories questioning whether Oswald acted alone or as part of a larger plot.
The official investigation, led by the Warren Commission, concluded that Oswald was the lone gunman, but skepticism has persisted for decades. Kennedy’s death profoundly impacted the nation, leading to major shifts in U.S. politics and security measures surrounding the presidency.
His assassination also marked the end of an era of post-war optimism, leaving a lasting imprint on American culture and history.