Attempted assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Attempted assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt

On February 15, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had been chosen to be the next president-elect of the United States, was giving a speech at night in Miami, Florida. He stood in the back of an open car to speak to the crowd.

A man named Giuseppe Zangara, an Italian immigrant, tried to harm Roosevelt with a handgun. He fired several shots. Some people nearby were hurt, and Chicago mayor Anton Cermak, who stood very close to Roosevelt, was badly injured.

Zangara later said he did this terrible act and faced serious consequences. Roosevelt was not hurt and later became the longest-serving president in American history, leading the country until 1945. This event showed that dangerous moments can happen and why safety for leaders is important.

Background

In 1929, someone sent a bomb in the mail to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was then the governor of New York. A worker in the mailroom stepped on the package by accident, and the bomb did not go off. The person who made the bomb was taken to a hospital.

During a hard time called the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt promised to help America get better with something called a "New Deal". He ran against the Hoover administration and won the 1932 presidential election by a large margin against Herbert Hoover, the Republican president at the time. Roosevelt was going to become the 32nd president of the United States on March 4, 1933.

Assassination attempt

On February 15, 1933, 17 days before he would become president, Franklin D. Roosevelt was giving a speech in Bayfront Park in Miami, Florida. He stood in the back of an open car at night. A man named Giuseppe Zangara tried to shoot him with a small gun.

Zangara fired several shots, but Roosevelt was not hurt. Some people around him were injured, including the mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak, who was badly hurt and later died. One woman near Zangara helped stop him by pushing his arm. Even with the danger, Roosevelt helped care for those who were hurt and took them to the hospital.

Perpetrator

Main article: Giuseppe Zangara

The attempt on President-elect Roosevelt's life was done by Giuseppe Zangara. He was an Italian immigrant and had served in the Royal Italian Army. Zangara was born in Ferruzzano, Kingdom of Italy, in 1900. He moved to the United States in 1923. He lived in Paterson, New Jersey, and became a U.S. citizen in 1929. Zangara had little schooling and worked as a bricklayer. Some people thought Zangara might have been mentally ill.

Aftermath

Zangara said he wanted to harm leaders and wealthy people. He admitted to trying to hurt others and was sent to prison for a long time.

Sadly, one of the people hurt in the incident passed away not long after. Zangara was held responsible and faced the most serious punishment allowed by the law. He was executed soon after.

In popular culture

The book and TV show The Man in the High Castle tells a story where President-elect Roosevelt was attacked in 1933. In this story, the Great Depression keeps going, and the United States does not join World War II. Because of this, Nazi Germany takes over Europe and the Soviet Union. The story also shows Japan invading the West Coast of the United States and Germany invading the East Coast.