17. President William McKinley looked like he might survive his assassination attempt but passed away from blood poisoning
Prior to JFK, the previous American President to have been assassinated was William McKinley. Unsurprisingly, it’s JFK’s death that most people remember. And it’s not just McKinley’s death that has been overshadowed by the next man. Indeed, his accomplishments while in office were almost immediately put into the shade by those of his successor, Theodore Roosevelt. But still, his legacy is largely positive, mainly dud to his shrewd economic policies as well as his humble background, his Civil War record and general work ethic.
McKinley, who became President in March of 1897, was the last Commander-in-Chief to have served in the American Civil War. What’s more, he served with distinction, entering the Union Army as an enlisted soldier and leaving as a commissioned officer. Just as his military career was characterized by a rapid rise in fortunes, so too was his political career, as well as the economy during his Presidency. Under him, the United States adopted the Gold Standard, plus the economy was given a major boost by victory in the Spanish-American War of 1898.
Given his accomplishments, McKinley was a largely-popular President. He liked meeting crowds of supporters, despite his bodyguards’ repeated warnings. This was to prove his downfall. On September 6 1901, McKinley was addressing a crowd in Buffalo, New York, when a Polish-American anarchist shot him twice in the chest. Remarkably, McKinley survived the initial attack. In the following days, he even appeared to be getting better. However, gangrene set in and he died of blood poisoning on September 13.
McKinley’s assassin, a man by the name of Leon Czplgosz, was found guilty and executed by electric chair. The killing sent shockwaves throughout America. In the following years and decades, Mckinley became known for his work ethic, honesty and economic prudence, though more recently, historians have debated the wisdom of his expansionist foreign policies.