U.S. Secret Service

The United States Secret Service was founded in 1865, as a branch of the United States Treasury Department, to prevent counterfeiting of U.S. currency. The permanent duty of protecting the President of the United States of America was established in 1901 following the assassination of President William McKinley in Buffalo, New York. In 1962, Congress expanded the protective duties of the Secret Service to include the Vice President. In 2003, the Secret Service became part of the United States Department of Homeland Security.