Book Review: The President and the Assassin
Scott Miller's 2011 book The President and the Assassin explores an important period in American history, the turn of the last century, when the United States made the transition from fledgling nation to world power. Manifest destiny took another step as the nation expanded from a continental one to one possessing overseas territories. In alternating chapters, Miller tells us about President William McKinley and the nation he lived in, and about the conditions of the working man from which his assassin Leon Czolgosz emerged, until their two paths converged one day in Buffalo.
McKinley was the last of the Civil War veterans to become President. He came into office denying any expansionist ambitions, but quickly found his nation in conflict with Spain over the fate of an island south of Florida called Cuba. Miller give a fair and interesting description of how the US soon found itself in conflicts in Cuba and the Philippines and how those conflicts were fueled by cheerleaders like William Randall Hearst, Joseph Pulitzer and the popular Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt. He goes on to describe how the United States won relatively easy victories in both theatres while struggling with the issue of how to deal with the local insurgents. As the nation prospered from it's expanded global holdings, greater access to international markets and from becoming a more important player on the world stage, McKinley took advantage of how the nation's economic fortunes improved as the result of the nation's changing international profile and the positive effect on his electability.
Meanwhile, in alternate chapters, Miller describes the treatment or workers dependent on employment with industrialists who were determined to increase profits by cutting wages while exerting more labor from their workers. He describes the importation of anarchism into the United States, the actions of anarchists such as Albert Parsons and Emma Goldman, and the violent clashes which occurred between employers' forces and the rank and file workers. All of this helped to shape a young Leon Czolgosz. Miller describes the formulation of Czolgosz's plan to stalk the President and emulate European anarchists who saw it as their duty to help the working man by assassinating the monarch. Even after his deed fails to generate the response he expects, Czolgosz maintains his mantra that he has done his duty.
When President and assassin meet in Buffalo at the exposition, Miller gives us a front row seat for the President's last days, the assassination, the medical care given to the ailing President, the treatment and trial of the accused and of Czolgosz's sentence and execution. Miller describes not only what happened, but also puts us in the place of the principal characters as well as giving us a sense of the mood of the nation. He concludes with an aftermath describing where the supporting characters ended up and how the predominant issues of the day played out.
Miller takes a period of American history that is not often the subject of historical scrutiny and makes the reader realize what an important time this was in the transition of the United States. He makes us appreciate how and when this transition occurred and how it contributed to the nation that exists today. I would classify this as a worthwhile read for all serious
potus_geeks, as well as an interesting and entertaining piece of historical reading.
McKinley was the last of the Civil War veterans to become President. He came into office denying any expansionist ambitions, but quickly found his nation in conflict with Spain over the fate of an island south of Florida called Cuba. Miller give a fair and interesting description of how the US soon found itself in conflicts in Cuba and the Philippines and how those conflicts were fueled by cheerleaders like William Randall Hearst, Joseph Pulitzer and the popular Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt. He goes on to describe how the United States won relatively easy victories in both theatres while struggling with the issue of how to deal with the local insurgents. As the nation prospered from it's expanded global holdings, greater access to international markets and from becoming a more important player on the world stage, McKinley took advantage of how the nation's economic fortunes improved as the result of the nation's changing international profile and the positive effect on his electability.
Meanwhile, in alternate chapters, Miller describes the treatment or workers dependent on employment with industrialists who were determined to increase profits by cutting wages while exerting more labor from their workers. He describes the importation of anarchism into the United States, the actions of anarchists such as Albert Parsons and Emma Goldman, and the violent clashes which occurred between employers' forces and the rank and file workers. All of this helped to shape a young Leon Czolgosz. Miller describes the formulation of Czolgosz's plan to stalk the President and emulate European anarchists who saw it as their duty to help the working man by assassinating the monarch. Even after his deed fails to generate the response he expects, Czolgosz maintains his mantra that he has done his duty.
When President and assassin meet in Buffalo at the exposition, Miller gives us a front row seat for the President's last days, the assassination, the medical care given to the ailing President, the treatment and trial of the accused and of Czolgosz's sentence and execution. Miller describes not only what happened, but also puts us in the place of the principal characters as well as giving us a sense of the mood of the nation. He concludes with an aftermath describing where the supporting characters ended up and how the predominant issues of the day played out.
Miller takes a period of American history that is not often the subject of historical scrutiny and makes the reader realize what an important time this was in the transition of the United States. He makes us appreciate how and when this transition occurred and how it contributed to the nation that exists today. I would classify this as a worthwhile read for all serious
potus_geeks, as well as an interesting and entertaining piece of historical reading.