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United States v. Guiteau: Assassination and Insanity in Gilded Age America

The first judicial trial of a presidential assassin forces the courts to defend their independence and define the bounds of criminal insanity.

Famous Federal Trials

by Winston Bowman, Associate Historian, Federal Judicial History Office, Federal Judicial Center

Learn about the case — historical background and documents

View/Download PDF (5.99 MB)

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Classroom Materials and Activities

PowerPoint Lecture (PowerPoint, 4.66 MB)
Student Handout (PDF, 36.51 KB)