On October 29, 1901, Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of President William McKinley, was executed by electrocution in Auburn Prison in New York. Czolgosz had shot McKinley on September 6 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. The president died several days later from his wounds. Czolgosz was quickly tried and convicted of murder. His execution reflected the period’s swift response to political violence. The assassination led to greater security measures for presidents and elevated Vice President Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency.
