logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
36m 22s

Encore: Presidential Assassinations | An...

Wondery
About this episode

In September 1901, President William McKinley visited the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York to deliver a speech celebrating American achievements at home and abroad. But waiting in the crowd in Buffalo was an embittered Polish-American laborer seeking to prove his commitment to the anarchist cause. Leon Czolgosz fired two bullets, striking the 25th president and sparking a rush to save McKinley’s life. With the president’s life hanging in the balance, McKinley’s ambitious Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt, waited in the wings with bold ambitions for expanding America’s imperial might.


Order your copy of the new American History Tellers book, The Hidden History of the White House, for behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most dramatic events in American history—set right inside the house where it happened.


Listen to American History Tellers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-history-tellers/ now.


See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 22
FAN FAVORITE: California Gold Rush | The Forty Niners | 2
In early 1849, thousands of gold-hungry Americans began pouring into California from the eastern United States. But most of the so-called 49ers were wildly unprepared for the perilous journey west. Once they reached California, they found unexpected obstacles and fierce competiti ... Show More
37m 46s
Aug 20
FAN FAVORITE: The Insurrection of Aaron Burr | The Severance of the Union | 3
In August 1806, Aaron Burr began the final preparations for his mysterious expedition to the western frontier. As he traveled, rumors that he was plotting a dangerous conspiracy followed in his wake.Newspapers reported that Burr was planning to invade Mexico and start a secession ... Show More
40m 51s
Aug 20
FAN FAVORITE: California Gold Rush | The First Strike | 1
After the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848, hundreds of thousands of prospectors poured into California, hoping to strike it rich. In the early days, rather than coming from within the U.S., most miners arrived from places like China, Hawaii, Chile, and Australia. But w ... Show More
37m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
The Third Presidential Assassination: McKinley
On 5th September, 1901, President William McKinley attended a public reception at the Pan American Exposition, a 6-month-long World’s Fair, in Buffalo, New York. He was at the height of his power, having been re-elected at the beginning of the year. But one of the people who stoo ... Show More
39m 23s
May 30
Episode 621: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Part I - All The World's a Stage
The boys are back for a classic historical true-crime deep dive, this time on a fascinating story that's often forgotten about in American History - This week we begin the story of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, starting with the backstory of the man who took the life of t ... Show More
1h 50m
Aug 2024
Teapot Dome | Corruption in the Harding Era | 5
The Teapot Dome scandal was only one instance of corruption during the presidency of Warren G. Harding. Against the backdrop of gangsters and Prohibition, shady dealings permeated the top levels of government – all the way up to the Attorney General of the United States. Nathan M ... Show More
38m 22s
Jan 2025
President FDR & the New Deal
In 1932, amidst the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected the 32nd President of the United States. He was more than a leader; he was a beacon of hope, steering the nation through its darkest days... and the newly-elected president had a plan. In this episode, Don is ... Show More
39m 53s
Jul 2024
Teapot Dome | Boiling Over | 2
Democratic congressional leaders and independent oil men are furious when they learn that Interior Secretary Albert Fall leased federal oil reserves with no open bidding or public debate.. Montana Senator Thomas Walsh reluctantly agrees to head an investigation, even as Fall braz ... Show More
42m 37s
Aug 13
591. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Manhunt for the Killer (Part 2)
How was President Abraham Lincoln murdered on Good Friday 1865, at Ford’s Theatre, just five days after Robert E. Lee’s surrender? Who was John Wilkes Booth, the racist actor with southern sympathies, who assassinated him? How did he escape before the shocked eyes of the packed t ... Show More
1h 7m
Jul 3
ENCORE Watergate | The Smoking Gun | 5
President Nixon fights the release of his secret tapes. But with the country thrust into a constitutional crisis, Nixon has to make a gut-wrenching decision.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/ ... Show More
43m 59s
May 23
Roosevelt and the Renegade (Panama Disaster 2)
Sixteen years have passed since Ferdinand De Lesseps' catastrophic failure in Panama and the dramatic collapse of the French Panama Canal company. Now, President Theodore Roosevelt has picked up the task. “No single great material work,” Roosevelt tells Congress, “is of such cons ... Show More
40m 33s
Aug 10
590. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Death at the Theatre (Part 1)
After passing the 13th amendment, in the closing weeks of the brutal American Civil War, what did president Abraham Lincoln - recently re-elected - do next to inflame his detractors? Crippled with guilt for the death and destruction of the war, was he indeed a unionist tyrant? Wh ... Show More
1h 2m
Jul 2024
US Presidents Who Escaped Assassination
Lincoln, FDR, Reagan, Clinton, Bush and now Trump. All have been targets of assassination attempts while in or running for office. Listen to this bonus episode from our sister podcast, Dan Snow's History Hit, where host Dan is joined by Professor of American History at Cambridge ... Show More
41m 22s