On this day, July 5, in 1865, the U.S. Secret Service was created in Washington to arrest counterfeiters.
During President Abraham Lincoln’s administration, more than a third of the nation’s money was counterfeit.
Recommended Stories
The Secret Service evolved into the country’s first domestic intelligence and counterintelligence agency.
In 1870, the Secret Service headquarters relocated to New York City, but returned to the District four years later.
After the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901, Congress informally requested that the Secret Service provide presidential protection.
In 1902, William Craig became the first Secret Service agent to be killed; he was riding in a presidential carriage when the accident occurred.
Now, there are more than 3,200 agents.
— Scott McCabe
