Franklin D. Roosevelt: The Ten Days That Changed America
Through this American will that started it all, the economy was definitely stimulated. The logging industry flourished. The steel and stone industries had similar success all because of the link between the gold rush and the railroad. This not only increased the infrastructure benefitting the economy of the U.S., but it also set up the U.S. to industrialize. This could not have been done without the spike in population caused by the gold rush. These events are all very much so intertwined. The American will brought people to the right places and allowed for the gold rush to be one of the 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America. Just like people can be in the right place at the right time, people can be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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One of those people is President McKinley, who was the most popular president since Abraham Lincoln. He decided to visit the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo. An exposition that paid tribute to all of the technological advances that had been made in the recent years. The exposition, hosted in 1901, signaled the end of a century, as it was in 1901. In a way it signified the end of the rural past. There were eight thousand automobiles on the same roads that eighteen million horses also occupied. It would be in adequate to discuss McKinley’s tragedy without preface. McKinley’s had a very successful political career, but his private life was grim. Both of McKinley’s daughters died during their childhood. His wife had an untreatable disease (epilepsy) at the time. “When he ran for president in 1896, he refused to leave her side.”(128). This circumstance is what made the famous front porch campaign occur. McKinley obviously cared deeply for his wife. His love for his wife was so great that during his presidency she sat next to he at all times, so he could intervene in the event of a seizure. McKinley’s trop to Buffalo and the Pan American Exposition did not start of well. There was an artillery salute placed too close to his train. Thus, many were knocked to the floor and the windows of the train were shattered. The worst of events seemed to be over, but they were not. “The next morning, on September 5, McKinley entered the fairgrounds...Later that day, McKinley gave what was to be the last speech of his presidency.”(129). In said speech one of his key points was that “Isolation is no longer possible or desirable…” (129). He realized the increasing interconnectivity of the world. Shortly after this speech on Spetember6, 1901 while taking a trip to Niagara Falls he decided to visit the Temple of Music. With such large crowds and a lack of security, he was advised against it. The president retorted “Who would want to hurt me?” (131). It did not take long before Czolgosz, the president’s assassin, was standing in close proximity. He fired his concealed .32-caliber Iver Johnson revolver. One bullet traveled down the short barrel of the gun landing in the president’s torso. The trigger was pulled again and a second shot was taken. This also hit the president. The president’s first words after the shooting were that in regard to his wife. He wished that she would not be informed and if she was that it would not be exaggerated. A local official even disconnected the phones and blocked traffic near their house as to not wake up Mrs. McKinley. The president needed medical attention. A physician determined surgery was necessary. The nearest surgeon with the proper qualifications happened to be Matthew D. Mann, a gynecologist who had never deal with gunshot wounds. He was found at a nearby barbershop. After cutting into the president’s stomach, pieces of the bullets were removed. The surgeons did the best they could to locate the fragmented pieces of the bullets. Even though the surgeon’s had less than optimal conditions and a limited facility, they were confident that President McKinley would recover. They were wrong. After the surgery, Mrs. McKinley was informed of her husband’s injury. Conspiracy theories erupted, he was the third American President to be assassinated in sixty three years. Lincoln was killed in 1865 and Garfield in 1881. The fragments of the second bullet still remained in the president. This posed the danger of a possible infection. Many people including the president believed that things would be alright, but in actuality the infection was spreading. His pulse would later weaken, go into shock, and have heart failure. His oxygen tube was then removed. The head of state had passed away. “[Mrs. McKinley] would visit her husband’s grave nearly every day until her own death six years later…” (136).
Nine days after the assassination, Czolgosz went to trial. Two days later he was declared guilty of murder in the first degree. In just over a months’ time, he sat in the electric chair. Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency would then begin. He would be the youngest man ever to take presidency. Roosevelt was originally appointed as McKinley’s vice president so that he would be removed from the political spotlight. Roosevelt, like many vice presidents, never expected to be president
The significance of McKinley’s assassination stems mostly from Teddy Roosevelt.
Teddy Roosevelt made so many advances. He would later be the inspiration of Franklin D. Roosevelt who took similar stances on many topics. Besides his inspiration, Roosevelt accomplished many things in office. .Roosevelt would be one of the most involved presidents of the time. “Most presidents had outlined their goals…Roosevelt sent drafts of legislation to Congress and actively lobbied on behalf of that legislation.”(139). He was also known to feed the media stories that benefited his self-image. In many ways, Roosevelt was a man of firsts. He was first to “ride in an automobile, fly in an airplane, and be submerged in a submarine.” (139). Roosevelt directly contrasted McKinley, Roosevelts social agenda included “regulation of the railroads [and] increased federal power to regulate commerce…”(142) Roosevelt also used his power to set aside large portions of natural forest for the benefit of future generations. Roosevelt also facilitated the production of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt’s famous quote regarding his opinion of foreign policy is to “Speak softly and carry a big stick…” The president was strongly in favor of a larger federal government. Roosevelt “helped the nation make the transition from a rural republic to a world power” (146) Thus, his significance can forever be shown with his face carved into the side of Mount Rushmore. Roosevelt’s significance is much more focused due to the actuality of it. A decent amount of McKinley’s significance lays in potential. What changes could he have made? That is unknown. The unknown and known have equal significance. It is a tragedy that the United States never got to fully experience President McKinley’s significance. Some events are so reliant on time and place and amazing things happen. The same happens with horrible events. Both have value. Without the wrong doings of the past, the United States could not be
furthered.
One of those people is President McKinley, who was the most popular president since Abraham Lincoln. He decided to visit the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo. An exposition that paid tribute to all of the technological advances that had been made in the recent years. The exposition, hosted in 1901, signaled the end of a century, as it was in 1901. In a way it signified the end of the rural past. There were eight thousand automobiles on the same roads that eighteen million horses also occupied. It would be in adequate to discuss McKinley’s tragedy without preface. McKinley’s had a very successful political career, but his private life was grim. Both of McKinley’s daughters died during their childhood. His wife had an untreatable disease (epilepsy) at the time. “When he ran for president in 1896, he refused to leave her side.”(128). This circumstance is what made the famous front porch campaign occur. McKinley obviously cared deeply for his wife. His love for his wife was so great that during his presidency she sat next to he at all times, so he could intervene in the event of a seizure. McKinley’s trop to Buffalo and the Pan American Exposition did not start of well. There was an artillery salute placed too close to his train. Thus, many were knocked to the floor and the windows of the train were shattered. The worst of events seemed to be over, but they were not. “The next morning, on September 5, McKinley entered the fairgrounds...Later that day, McKinley gave what was to be the last speech of his presidency.”(129). In said speech one of his key points was that “Isolation is no longer possible or desirable…” (129). He realized the increasing interconnectivity of the world. Shortly after this speech on Spetember6, 1901 while taking a trip to Niagara Falls he decided to visit the Temple of Music. With such large crowds and a lack of security, he was advised against it. The president retorted “Who would want to hurt me?” (131). It did not take long before Czolgosz, the president’s assassin, was standing in close proximity. He fired his concealed .32-caliber Iver Johnson revolver. One bullet traveled down the short barrel of the gun landing in the president’s torso. The trigger was pulled again and a second shot was taken. This also hit the president. The president’s first words after the shooting were that in regard to his wife. He wished that she would not be informed and if she was that it would not be exaggerated. A local official even disconnected the phones and blocked traffic near their house as to not wake up Mrs. McKinley. The president needed medical attention. A physician determined surgery was necessary. The nearest surgeon with the proper qualifications happened to be Matthew D. Mann, a gynecologist who had never deal with gunshot wounds. He was found at a nearby barbershop. After cutting into the president’s stomach, pieces of the bullets were removed. The surgeons did the best they could to locate the fragmented pieces of the bullets. Even though the surgeon’s had less than optimal conditions and a limited facility, they were confident that President McKinley would recover. They were wrong. After the surgery, Mrs. McKinley was informed of her husband’s injury. Conspiracy theories erupted, he was the third American President to be assassinated in sixty three years. Lincoln was killed in 1865 and Garfield in 1881. The fragments of the second bullet still remained in the president. This posed the danger of a possible infection. Many people including the president believed that things would be alright, but in actuality the infection was spreading. His pulse would later weaken, go into shock, and have heart failure. His oxygen tube was then removed. The head of state had passed away. “[Mrs. McKinley] would visit her husband’s grave nearly every day until her own death six years later…” (136).
Nine days after the assassination, Czolgosz went to trial. Two days later he was declared guilty of murder in the first degree. In just over a months’ time, he sat in the electric chair. Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency would then begin. He would be the youngest man ever to take presidency. Roosevelt was originally appointed as McKinley’s vice president so that he would be removed from the political spotlight. Roosevelt, like many vice presidents, never expected to be president
The significance of McKinley’s assassination stems mostly from Teddy Roosevelt.
Teddy Roosevelt made so many advances. He would later be the inspiration of Franklin D. Roosevelt who took similar stances on many topics. Besides his inspiration, Roosevelt accomplished many things in office. .Roosevelt would be one of the most involved presidents of the time. “Most presidents had outlined their goals…Roosevelt sent drafts of legislation to Congress and actively lobbied on behalf of that legislation.”(139). He was also known to feed the media stories that benefited his self-image. In many ways, Roosevelt was a man of firsts. He was first to “ride in an automobile, fly in an airplane, and be submerged in a submarine.” (139). Roosevelt directly contrasted McKinley, Roosevelts social agenda included “regulation of the railroads [and] increased federal power to regulate commerce…”(142) Roosevelt also used his power to set aside large portions of natural forest for the benefit of future generations. Roosevelt also facilitated the production of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt’s famous quote regarding his opinion of foreign policy is to “Speak softly and carry a big stick…” The president was strongly in favor of a larger federal government. Roosevelt “helped the nation make the transition from a rural republic to a world power” (146) Thus, his significance can forever be shown with his face carved into the side of Mount Rushmore. Roosevelt’s significance is much more focused due to the actuality of it. A decent amount of McKinley’s significance lays in potential. What changes could he have made? That is unknown. The unknown and known have equal significance. It is a tragedy that the United States never got to fully experience President McKinley’s significance. Some events are so reliant on time and place and amazing things happen. The same happens with horrible events. Both have value. Without the wrong doings of the past, the United States could not be
furthered.