About the Program
Sarah Vowell examines the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, and William McKinley. The author, a self-described history junkie, visits the landmarks, museums, and locales surrounding each of the presidential assassinations. Ms. Vowell's travels take her from Alaska to New York to Dry Tortugas Island (where several Lincoln conspirators were sentenced to prison) among other places. Along the way, the author writes about how presidential assassinations have become big business for historical tourism, benefiting places like inns and shops in each of the towns.