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McKinley Commemorative Plate

Manufacturer United States Glass Co. (American (Pittsburgh, PA), 1891 - 1962)

Date1901

MediumGlass, pressed clear

Dimensions10 3/4 × 8 × 1 in. (27.3 × 20.3 × 2.5 cm) Other: 4 1/4 in. diameter (10.8 cm)

ClassificationsDecorative Arts, Glass

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Lloyd Madsen. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object number75.5.1

Status

On view

Collections

Decorative Arts

CultureAmerican

Label TextThe assassination of a United States president is seen as an unthinkable occurrence today, however to the people of the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, it was a grim reality woven into the fabric of political life. In less than fifty years, three presidents were struck down by assassin’s bullet, each death shaking the nation. Lincoln was murdered by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth just days after the Civil War ended. Garfield was shot by a disgruntled office seeker, Charles J. Guiteau, at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. McKinley was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. In both Garfield’s and McKinley’s cases, the bullets were not immediately fatal. Instead, both presidents succumbed to infections due to unsanitary medical treatment, a reflection of the limited medical knowledge of the time, and a factor that made their deaths all the more tragic. These assassinations sparked widespread national mourning. In the years that followed, each president was memorialized as a fallen hero, their deaths symbolizing sacrifice, unity, and the ongoing struggle to build a better America. Their tragic ends became defining moments in U.S. history, shaping public memory and the presidency itself. https://fords.org/lincolns-assassination/ https://www.facs.org/media/g1qn0eja/03_james_garfield.pdf https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-william-mckinley-assassination

Markings"It is God's way" across top of figure and under figure, "His will be done".

Locations