Leon Czolgosz, born on May 5, 1873 in Alpena Michigan, was a recluse throughout his life, disillusioned by what he saw as a cat and mouse relationship between the upper and lower class in the American Capitalist society, and was heavily influenced by socialist and anarchist thinkers such as Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. On August 31, 1901, Czolgosz moved to Buffalo, NY where he rented a room near the Pan-American Expo. He went to the expo on September 6th concealing a gun in his pocket and shot the president twice at point blank range. President McKiney died seven days later.
Czolgosz's last words before being executed were "I killed the president because he was an enemy to the good people - the working people."
Czolgoz was never an active participant of any anarchist group and many anarchists found his aggresive and violent behavior to be detrimental to the movement, however, after his execution, Emma Goldman publicized her approval of his actions.
Learn more about Anarchism in our book,
Anarchism For Beginners.
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