Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of President William McKinley, was a figure shaped by economic hardship and radical ideologies. Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1873 to Polish immigrants, Czolgosz's early life was marked by his family's frequent moves across the Midwest as his father sought work. His personal journey into anarchism, a political philosophy that advocated for the absence of government, was deeply intertwined with the economic turmoil of the late
19th century. His actions on September 6, 1901, were not isolated but rather a tragic manifestation of a broader, feared movement that had already left its mark on both Europe and the United States.
A Life of Discontent and Radicalization
Czolgosz's path to radicalization began with personal economic hardship. He worked in a Cleveland factory until he lost his job during a labor dispute in 1893, a year that also saw the onset of a severe economic depression known as the Panic of 1893. This period of unemployment and irregular work led him to attend political and religious meetings, seeking to understand the causes of the widespread economic turmoil. It was during this time that he developed an interest in anarchism, a philosophy that resonated with his feelings of injustice and oppression.
By 1901, anarchism was a movement viewed with significant fear in the United States. The New York's highest court had even ruled that merely identifying oneself as an anarchist in public constituted a breach of the peace. This fear was not unfounded; anarchists had been responsible for assassinations or attempted assassinations of several officials and members of royal families in Europe. They were also blamed for the 1886 Haymarket bombing in Chicago, an event that further fueled public anxiety and hostility towards the movement. Czolgosz, living on his parents' farm near Cleveland from 1898 and working little, may have suffered a nervous breakdown, further isolating him and deepening his susceptibility to radical ideas.
The Influence of Anarchist Thought
A pivotal moment in Czolgosz's radicalization was attending a speech by anarchist Emma Goldman in May 1901 in Cleveland. Before the speech, he approached Goldman, asking for book recommendations on anarchism, which she provided. Goldman's talk, while not advocating violence directly, expressed understanding for those driven to it, profoundly influenced Czolgosz. He later stated that her words "burned in his head." He even visited her at her Chicago home in July, and they traveled together to the train station as she departed for Buffalo to see the fair. Goldman, however, expressed concern to another radical that Czolgosz, who was using the alias Fred Nieman, seemed to be following her.
Czolgosz's movements in the months leading up to the assassination suggest a growing fixation. He moved to Buffalo, possibly due to its large Polish population, and spent much time reading. He then traveled to Cleveland, where he may have acquired more anarchist literature or money, and subsequently to Chicago. In Chicago, he saw a newspaper mention of President McKinley's upcoming visit to Buffalo. He returned to Buffalo, initially uncertain of his exact intentions, but driven by a desire to be near the man he saw as embodying injustice. On September 3, he made up his mind to kill the president, later telling police,
