Thurs, 9/24/14
Presidential Assassinations:
• Who were the four presidents assassinated while
in office? And why do you think these events are
significant?
– Pg. 137
– Pg. 234
– Pg. 278
– Pg. 607
Thurs, 9/24/14
Assassination of Lincoln
• April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was
assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater a
little after 10 p.m.
Assassination of Lincoln
• Five days earlier, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrender the
Army of Northern Virginia (Confederacy) to Gen U.S.
Grant and his Army of the Potomac (Union).
• On the same evening, assassination attempts were
also planned for the following:
– Vice President Andrew Johnson by George Atzerodt
– Secretary of State William Seward by Lewis Powell
Assassinations & Transitions of Power
• April 14, 1865 – Abraham Lincoln is shot and killed.
– April 15, 1865 – Andrew Johnson is sworn in as the 17th
President.
• July 2, 1881 shot, dies Sept. 19, 1881 – James Garfield dies
– Sept. 19, 1881 – Chester Arthur is sworn in as the 21st
President.
• Sept. 14, 1901 – William McKinley is shot and killed.
– Sept. 14, 1901 – Theodore Roosevelt is sworn in as the
26th President.
• Nov. 22, 1963 – John F. Kennedy is shot and killed.
– Nov. 22, 1963 – Lyndon Johnson becomes the 26th
President.
Presidential Election of 1800
• Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican
defeated John Adams, a Federalist in the first
political change in the presidency in U.S. History.
• It was a peaceful transition of power.
• By comparison, the French Revolution, 1789-1799.
– July 14, 1789, Storming of the Bastille
– Sept. 1793 – July, 1794, Reign of Terror
– 1799, Napoleon establishes the Consulate
– France has four different constitutions during these 10
years
What is the common historical idea?
• Find the common historical idea in the following
events:
– Assassinations of U.S. Presidents: 1865, 1881, 1901, &
1963
– U.S. Presidential Election of 1800
– “Medal of Honor” Handout: commentary on the
concession speech of Al Gore, Presidential Election of
2000