In 1901, as America tallied its gains from a period of unprecedented imperial expansion, an assassin's bullet shattered the nation's confidence. This book is the story of the momentous years leading up to that event, and of the very different paths that brought together two figures of the era: President William McKinley and anarchist Leon Czolgosz. The two men seemed to live in eerily parallel Americas. The United States was undergoing an uneasy transition from a simple agrarian society to an industrial powerhouse, spreading its influence overseas by force of arms. Czolgosz was on the losing end of the economic changes taking place--a first-generation Polish immigrant and factory worker, sickened by a government that seemed focused solely on making the rich richer. Journalist Scott Miller chronicles how these two men, each pursuing what he considered the right and honorable path, collided in violence at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.--From publisher description.

Temple of music -- "Oh God, keep him humble" -- A quiet man in the corner -- "There will be no jingo nonsense" -- "The government is best which governs least" -- The Hawaiian anvil -- An unlikely anarchist -- An open cask of gunpowder -- Propaganda of the deed -- "The Maine blown up!" -- "Fire and kill all you can!" -- Dewey at Manila -- A respectable tramp -- The "least dangerous experiment" -- "The child has gone crazy" -- San Juan Hill -- Lunchroom -- A country "full of swagger" -- Bloody homestead -- Spoils of war -- Hunting rabbits -- "It is always the unexpected that happens, at least in my case" -- Red Emma -- Open doors -- "Avanti!" -- The American century -- Words that burn -- "Surrender or be killed" -- "Have you any secret societies?" -- Going to the fair -- "I done my duty" -- The operating theater -- A park ranger comes running -- The chair.