hey, all. i was reviewing some of my notes again and came up to a section addressing the fate of Lincoln in a given ATL. for the project in question, Lincoln may not be assassinated due to changes to the ACW. i knew from prior knowledge that the Secret Service as we know it didn't really exist until after Lincoln was killed IOTL. i decided to look into it and learned that the Secret Service was originally formed to combat money laundering and that the legislation to create it was on Lincoln's desk when he died (it was formed two months later). further reading turned up that the other factor to the Secret Service becoming presidential protection was McKinley's assassination, after which Congress requested they become a protective service and that whole thing went through in 1902.
for the time being, i'm going to assume that it would take at least two POTUS assassinations for the Secret Service to become bodyguards and until that point they're "just" federal police, but what does everyone else think?
for the time being, i'm going to assume that it would take at least two POTUS assassinations for the Secret Service to become bodyguards and until that point they're "just" federal police, but what does everyone else think?