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

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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.

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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