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What did William McKinley advocate for?
In the campaign, McKinley advocated "sound money", promised that high tariffs would restore prosperity, and denounced Bryan as a radical who promoted class warfare. He defeated Bryan again in the 1900 presidential election, in a campaign focused on imperialism in the Philippines, high tariffs, and free silver.
What did William McKinley do for civil rights?
The deteriorating position of U.S. African-Americans garnered no firm stance by McKinley, who, although he denounced lynching, never made the issue an official one; nor did he intervene for any other civil rights concerns, including voting.
Did McKinley support or oppose imperialism?
The anti-imperialist movement and members of McKinley s own party opposed his expansionist plans. The President knew he had to have the unqualified support of the American people to attain his foreign policy objectives.
What is William McKinley's famous quote?
In the time of darkest defeat, victory may be nearest. We need Hawaii just as much and a good deal more than we did California.
Was McKinley an abolitionist?
He came from an abolitionist family and enlisted as a private in the Union Army in 1861. McKinley served with distinction in some of the toughest battles of the war and ended the war as a staff officer, with the temporary rank of major. He was the last veteran of the Civil War to serve as president.
Why did President McKinley want to go to war with Spain?
McKinley originally tried to avoid an armed conflict with Spain, but the American media, led by newspaper baron Randolph Hearst, lambasted McKinley as weak and whipped up popular sentiment for a war to give Cubans their independence.
Who supported American imperialism?
Alfred Thayer MahanAlfred Thayer Mahan, who served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during the late 19th century, supported the notion of American imperialism in his 1890 book titled The Influence of Sea Power upon History.
Did McKinley support the Spanish-American War?
William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1897, until his assassination on September 14, 1901, after leading the nation to victory in the Spanish-American War and raising protective tariffs to promote American industry.
Who are the 4 assassinated Presidents?
Few events in U.S. history remain as chilling—and yet beguiling—as the assassinations of presidents Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy. These acts of murder stunned the nation and spawned singular tales of mystery and conspiracy.
What was President McKinley's plan to help Cuba?
On April 11, 1898, President William McKinley asked Congress for authorization to end the fighting in Cuba between the rebels and Spanish forces, and to establish a "stable government" that would "maintain order" and ensure the "peace and tranquility and the security" of Cuban and U.S. citizens on the island.
Was William McKinley in the Civil War?
Born in Niles, Ohio, in 1843, McKinley briefly attended Allegheny College, and was teaching in a country school when the Civil War broke out. Enlisting as a private in the Union Army, he was mustered out at the end of the war as a brevet major of volunteers.
Who passed the Gold Standard Act?
President William McKinleyOn this day in 1900, President William McKinley signed the Gold Standard Act, which established gold as the sole basis for redeeming paper currency. The act halted the practice of bimetallism, which had allowed silver to also serve as a monetary standard.
What was William McKinley's career?
Early Life and Career. President William McKinley. Domestic Agenda. Spanish-American War. Reelection in 1900. Assassination. PHOTO GALLERIES. William McKinley served in the U.S. Congress and as governor of Ohio before running for the presidency in 1896. As a longtime champion of protective tariffs, the Republican McKinley ran on a platform ...
What was the role of McKinley in the world?
In general, McKinley’s bold foreign policy opened the doors for the United States to play an increasingly active role in world affairs. Re-elected in 1900, McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist in Buffalo, New York, in September 1901.
What did McKinley support?
McKinley’s support for the Dingley Tariff strengthened his position with organized labor, while his generally business-friendly administration allowed industrial combinations or “trusts” to develop at an unprecedented rate.
What was the McKinley policy?
McKinley’s administration also pursued an influential “Open Door” policy aimed as supporting American commercial interests in China and ensuring a strong U.S. position in world markets. In 1900, McKinley backed up this policy by sending American troops to help put down the Boxer Rebellion, a nationalist uprising against foreign intervention in China.
Why did McKinley call a special session of Congress?
Soon after taking office, McKinley called a special session of Congress in order to raise customs duties, an effort he believed would reduce other taxes and encourage the growth of domestic industry and employment for American workers.
Where was William McKinley born?
Early Life and Career. William McKinley was born January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio. As a young man, he briefly attended Allegheny College before taking a post as a country schoolteacher. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, McKinley enlisted in the Union Army, where he eventually earned the rank of brevet major of volunteers.
Who ran against McKinley?
In the general election, McKinley faced William Jennings Bryan, who ran on a platform attacking the gold standard and supporting the coinage of silver as well as gold. Touted by Hanna as the “advance agent of prosperity” and the protector of America’s financial interests in contrast to Bryan’s radical policies, McKinley won the popular vote by a margin of some 600,000, the largest victory in 25 years; he also won more electoral votes than Bryan.
How old was William McKinley?
McKinley, aged 15. William McKinley Jr. was born in 1843 in Niles, Ohio, the seventh of nine children of William McKinley Sr. and Nancy (née Allison) McKinley. The McKinleys were of English and Scots-Irish descent and had settled in western Pennsylvania in the 18th century.
Where was William McKinley born?
William McKinley Sr was born in Pennsylvania, in Pine Township, Mercer County. The family moved to Ohio when the senior McKinley was a boy, settling in New Lisbon (now Lisbon). He met Nancy Allison there and they later married. The Allison family was of mostly English descent and among Pennsylvania's earliest settlers.
Why was Cortelyou concerned about McKinley?
Although McKinley enjoyed meeting the public, Cortelyou was concerned with his security because of recent assassinations by anarchists in Europe, such as the assassination of King Umberto I of Italy the previous year. Twice he tried to remove a public reception from the president's rescheduled visit to the exposition. McKinley refused, and Cortelyou arranged for additional security for the trip. On September 5, McKinley delivered his address at the fairgrounds before a crowd of 50,000. In his final speech, McKinley urged reciprocity treaties with other nations to assure American manufacturers access to foreign markets. He intended the speech as a keynote to his plans for a second term.
What did McKinley do before the convention?
Before the Republican convention, McKinley had been a "straddle bug" on the currency question, favoring moderate positions on silver such as accomplishing bimetallism by international agreement. In the final days before the convention, McKinley decided, after hearing from politicians and businessmen, that the platform should endorse the gold standard, though it should allow for bimetallism through coordination with other nations. Adoption of the platform caused some western delegates, led by Colorado Senator Henry M. Teller, to walk out of the convention. However, compared with the Democrats, Republican divisions on the issue were small, especially as McKinley promised future concessions to silver advocates.
Where did McKinley go to recruit troops?
While the regiment went into winter quarters near Charleston, Virginia (present-day West Virginia), McKinley was ordered back to Ohio with some other sergeants to recruit fresh troops. When they arrived in Columbus, Governor David Tod surprised McKinley with a commission as second lieutenant in recognition of his service at Antietam. McKinley and his comrades saw little action until July 1863, when the division skirmished with John Hunt Morgan 's cavalry at the Battle of Buffington Island. Early in 1864, the Army command structure in West Virginia was reorganized, and the division was assigned to George Crook 's Army of West Virginia. They soon resumed the offensive, marching into southwestern Virginia to destroy salt and lead mines used by the enemy. On May 9, the army engaged Confederate troops at Cloyd's Mountain, where the men charged the enemy entrenchments and drove the rebels from the field. McKinley later said the combat there was "as desperate as any witnessed during the war". Following the rout, the Union forces destroyed Confederate supplies and skirmished with the enemy again successfully.
What did the Democrats do to McKinley?
Out of office, he was briefly depressed by the setback, but soon vowed to run again. The Democrats again redistricted Stark County for the 1884 election; McKinley was returned to Congress anyway.
When was William McKinley sworn in as President?
McKinley was sworn in as president on March 4, 1897, as his wife and mother looked on.
Who was William McKinley?
McKinley was the son of William McKinley, a manager of a charcoal furnace and a small-scale iron founder, and Nancy Allison. Eighteen years old at the start of the Civil War, McKinley enlisted in an Ohio regiment under the command of Rutherford B. Hayes, later the 19th president of the United States (1877–81). Promoted second lieutenant for his bravery in the Battle of Antietam (1862), he was discharged a brevet major in 1865. Returning to Ohio, he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1867, and opened a law office in Canton, where he resided—except for his years in Washington, D.C.—for the rest of his life.
When was William McKinley killed?
William McKinley delivering his final speech, Buffalo, New York, September 5, 1901; he was fatally shot the following day.
What was the McKinley tariff?
The issue with which McKinley became most closely identified during his congressional years was the protective tariff, a high tax on imported goods which served to protect American manufacturers from foreign competition. While it was only natural for a Republican from a rapidly industrializing state to favour protection, McKinley’s support reflected more than his party’s pro-business bias. A genuinely compassionate man, McKinley cared about the well-being of American workers, and he always insisted that a high tariff was necessary to assuring high wages. As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, he was the principal sponsor of the McKinley Tariff of 1890, which raised duties higher than they had been at any previous time. Yet by the end of his presidency McKinley had become a convert to commercial reciprocity among nations, recognizing that Americans must buy products from other countries in order to sustain the sale of American goods abroad.
What did McKinley demand from Spain?
In March McKinley gave Spain an ultimatum, including demands for an end to the brutality inflicted upon Cubans and the start of negotiations leading toward independence for the island. Spain agreed to most of McKinley’s demands but balked at giving up its last major New World colony.
What was the central issue of the 1896 presidential election?
The presidential campaign of 1896 was one of the most exciting in American history. The central issue was the nation’s money supply. McKinley ran on a Republican platform emphasizing maintenance of the gold standard, while his opponent— William Jennings Bryan, candidate of both the Democratic and Populist parties—called for a bimetallic standard of gold and silver. Bryan campaigned vigorously, traveling thousands of miles and delivering hundreds of speeches in support of an inflated currency that would help poor farmers and other debtors. McKinley remained at home in Canton, greeting visiting delegations of Republicans at his front porch and giving carefully prepared speeches promoting the benefits of a gold-backed currency. For his part, Hanna tapped big businesses for enormous campaign contributions while simultaneously directing a network of Republican speakers who portrayed Bryan as a dangerous radical and McKinley as “the advance agent of prosperity.” McKinley won the election decisively, becoming the first president to achieve a popular majority since 1872 and bettering Bryan 271 to 176 in the electoral vote.
How many people attended William McKinley's exposition speech?
Cheering crowds throughout the journey attested to McKinley’s immense popularity. More than 50,000 admirers attended his exposition speech, in which the leader who had been so closely identified with protectionism now sounded the call for commercial reciprocity among nations: William McKinley.
Where was William McKinley transported?
William McKinley being transported to a hospital after an assassination attempt in Buffalo, N.Y., 1901. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. By sensible trade arrangements which will not interrupt our home production, we shall extend the outlets for our increasing surplus.
Where was William McKinley born?
William McKinley, Jr., was born in the village of Niles, Ohio , on 29 January 1843, the seventh of nine children. His father, the manager of a charcoal furnace, worked diligently to house, feed, clothe, and educate his growing family.
What is McKinley's role in Ohio?
Despite occasional setbacks, McKinley fared well in the politics of Ohio, a key state for anyone seeking national prominence. With its strategic location, industrial growth, and population expansion, Ohio provided a setting in which the forces shaping modern America could be observed in microcosm.
What issues did McKinley take on?
After his election to the United States House of Representatives, McKinley quickly found himself faced with the necessity of taking a position on two issues that had emerged as important ones during the economic troubles of the middle 1870s: the silver and tariff questions.
What was the McKinley Tariff?
The McKinley Tariff, together with lavish expenditures on pensions and pork-barrel schemes, aroused resentment against the "Billion-Dollar Congress," and as a consequence the elections of 1890 brought a Democratic landslide. Yet the Republican losses, including his own, proved a blessing for McKinley. He quickly rebounded to become governor of Ohio for two terms, thereby gaining administrative experience while avoiding the stigma of further association with unpopular national policies. His growing prominence in the party led to his serving as chairman of the Republican National Convention in 1892 and to his winning enough support to be mentioned as a nominee for the presidency. Aware of unrest throughout the land and within Republican ranks, he rejected the suggestion that he throw his hat into the ring. He thus remained in relative safety in Columbus as Grover Cleveland returned to the White House and as the depression that began in 1893 deepened into one of the worst economic disasters in American history.
Why did McKinley send troops to the Philippines?
That same year, McKinley sent troops to the Philippines because he believed the islands were incapable of governing themselves. He sent twenty thousand troops overseas to show the Filipinos how to run their islands, but the Filipinos revolted. Although McKinley predicted the conflict would be short and bloodless, it lasted until 1902 and cost more than five thousand American lives and two hundred thousand Filipino lives.
How long did it take for McKinley to return to school?
Five years were to pass before McKinley resumed his studies, for the Civil War lengthened the interruption of his formal education. After the fall of Fort Sumter, he enlisted in the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Regiment, under the command of Major Rutherford B. Hayes.
Why did McKinley support the open door policy?
In an effort to guarantee that Chinese ports would remain open to U.S. business, the president authorized an " Open Door " policy to China. This policy put China on an equal status with America in terms of trade and business. There would be no restrictions or tariffs, and the United States would support an independent China. The policy became useless at the end of World War II (1939–45), when China was recognized as a sovereign (self-governing) nation. As such, no country had the right to influence or attempt to exclude it from trade. By 1949, China had become a Communist country, and the Open Door Policy was rejected. The government did not wish to promote foreign trade or investment. Despite its demise, the Open Door policy remains one of the most important ever issued by the federal government.
Who Was William McKinley?
Following his service in the Union Army during the Civil War under Rutherford B. Hayes , William McKinley was drawn to service in the Republican Party. Yellow journalism at the time urged McKinley to start a war with Spain, leading to an American global empire.
Why did McKinley run for governor?
After a tariff measure bearing his name passed in 1890 , voters rejected McKinley and other Republicans due to rising consumer prices and he returned to Ohio. The following year, he ran for governor, winning by a narrow margin; he would serve two terms in that post.
How many votes did McKinley win?
Touted by Hanna as the "advance agent of prosperity" and the protector of America's financial interests in contrast to Bryan's radical policies, McKinley won the popular vote by a margin of some 600,000, the largest victory in 25 years; he also won more than a third more electoral votes than Bryan.
What was the McKinley policy?
McKinley's administration also pursued an influential "Open Door" policy aimed at supporting American commercial interests in China and ensuring a strong U.S. position in world markets. In 1900, McKinley backed up this policy by sending American troops to help put down the Boxer Rebellion, a nationalist uprising against foreign intervention in China.
Why did McKinley call a special session of Congress?
Soon after taking office, McKinley called a special session of Congress to raise customs duties, an effort he believed would reduce other taxes and encourage the growth of domestic industry and employment for American workers .
Where did the McKinley tour end?
The tour ended in Buffalo, New York, where he gave a speech on September 5 in front of 50,000 people at the Pan-American Exposition. The following day, McKinley was standing in a receiving line at the exposition when an unemployed Detroit mill worker named Leon Czolgosz shot him twice in the chest at point-blank range.
Who sponsored the Dingley Tariff Act?
The result was the Dingley Tariff Act (sponsored by the Maine congressman Nelson Dingley), the highest protective tariff in American history. McKinley's support for the Dingley Tariff strengthened his position with organized labor, while his generally business-friendly administration allowed industrial combinations or "trusts" to develop at an unprecedented rate.
Who was the chief executive of McKinley?
McKinley was a managed President, so the thinking went, a chief executive handled by his political cronies, especially Mark Hanna.
How did McKinley help create the presidency?
His use of the telephone, the press, and publicity to conduct and manage war and political campaigns became staples of his successors. He invited the nation's press to regular briefings by him or his assistants, establishing the forerunner of the presidential press conference. He understood the political advantage to be found in the use of mailings and printed propaganda. He greatly expanded the presidential staff, and he traveled widely across the nation making speeches, attending public ceremonies, and meeting his constituency.
Why did McKinley use Hanna?
They portray McKinley using Hanna for his own ends rather than the other way around, not ing Hanna's inability to stop the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt for Republican vice president in 1900 regardless of his protests to McKinley.
What did revisionist historians think of McKinley?
Revisionist historians, suspicious of politicians generally and critical of American imperialism, began to portray McKinley as a cunning and manipulative leader bent on expanding American influence in the world.
What was William McKinley's weakness?
Most interpretations held that McKinley's weakness extended to the domestic political arena . McKinley was a managed President, so the thinking went, a chief executive handled by his political cronies, especially Mark Hanna. McKinley, moreover, suffered in comparison to his successor, Theodore Roosevelt, whom historians thought possessed—often in abundance—many of the characteristics that McKinley lacked.
Who was the successor of McKinley?
McKinley, moreover, suffered in comparison to his successor, Theodore Roosevelt, whom historians thought possessed—often in abundance—many of the characteristics that McKinley lacked. In the 1960s, a new assessment of McKinley emerged, however. Revisionist historians, suspicious of politicians generally and critical of American imperialism, ...
Was William McKinley a charismatic leader?
Even so, the McKinley years merely suggested the changes that would occur to the American presidency during the twentieth century. McKinley was not a charismatic leader, and he did not inject drama into presidential affairs like his successors, especially the two Roosevelts and Wilson. Nor did he try to use his office as a bully pulpit to rally Americans to his policies and programs—initiatives which, in themselves, were small in scale compared to those put forward by his successors. Rather, William McKinley was an affable man and an astute and patient politician whose political skills and confidence enabled him to make firm decisions even when they were not popular ones. He did not reinvent the presidency, but he did work very successfully within the prevailing limitations and conception of the office.
What did William McKinley do in the Civil War?
Born in 1843 at a place called Niles (in Ohio), William McKinley had the honor of fighting for the Union Army in the American Civil War (1861-1865). Driven by the ideals of freedom and civil liberties, the future 25 th president of the United States enlisted as a private in Poland Guards in June 1861. He ultimately attained the rank of brevet major ...
When was William McKinley elected President?
William McKinley was sworn into office on March 4, 1897 as the 25th President of the United States.
What was the McKinley Tariff?
The bill, which was named after McKinley, was championed by McKinley in order to place tariffs on imported goods into the country.
Why was the Dingley Tariff passed?
The tariff was designed to protect American manufacturers and factory workers from excessively competitive imported goods. It was the highest protective tariff until that time.
What was the significance of the victory of McKinley against Spain?
The win reinforced America’s military might and dominance. And as part of the Peace Treaty of Paris in December 1898, Spain ceded control of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico to the U.S.
How many districts did McKinley represent?
At just 34, McKinley got elected to Congress, representing Ohio’s 17 th congressional district. He was massively supported by labor and other mine workers.
Why did William McKinley take on the Pro Bono case?
In 1876, McKinley took on a pro bono case to defend a group of coal miners accused of rioting. He showed the nation just how good a lawyer he was by getting all but one of the defendants acquitted. Shortly after, labor unions and American workers came to have a strong liking for William McKinley – something that would later help in his political career.
Why was McKinley renominated as the Republican candidate in 1900?
After four years in office, McKinley's popularity had risen because of his image as the victorious commander-in-chief of the Spanish-American War (see Foreign Affairs section) and because of the nation's general return to economic prosperity. Hence, he was easily renominated in 1900 as the Republican candidate.
What was Governor McKinley's role in the Panic of 1893?
The Panic of 1893, one of America's most devastating economic collapses, placed the Democrats on the defensive and restored Governor McKinley's stature in national politics. McKinley dominated the political arena at the opening of the 1896 Republican presidential nominating convention held in St. Louis. His commitment to protectionism as a solution to unemployment and his popularity in the Republican Party—as well as the behind-the-scenes political management of his chief political supporter, affluent businessman Marcus Hanna of Ohio—gave McKinley the nomination on the first ballot. He accumulated 661 votes compared to the 84 votes won by his nearest rival, House Speaker Thomas B. Reed of Maine.
What did the Democrats oppose in the McKinley war?
The Democrats also opposed McKinley's war against Philippine insurgents and the emergence of an American empire, viewing the latter as contrary to the basic character of the nation. The Republicans countered with a spirited defense of America's interests in foreign markets.
How many House seats did McKinley's party have?
In congressional elections that year, Republicans held fifty-five Senate seats to the Democrats' thirty-one, and McKinley's party captured 197 House seats compared to the Democrats' 151. Indeed, the Republican Party had become the majority political party in the nation.
Who was the vice president of New York at the Philadelphia Convention?
The most momentous event at the Philadelphia convention centered on the vice presidential nomination of Governor Theodore Roosevelt of New York. Vice President Garret A. Hobart of New Jersey had died in office, and Roosevelt's candidacy added a popular war hero and reform governor to the ticket.
What was the Republican victory?
The Republican victory reflected a winning coalition of urban residents in the North, prosperous midwestern farmers, industrial workers, ethnic voters (with the exception of the Irish), and reform-minded professionals.
What did McKinley do in 1898?
In 1898, McKinley’s also endorsed the Erdman Act, which devised a system for fixing wage issue on interstate railroads and announced his support for the exclusion of labor leaders backing up Chinese workers.
What was William McKinley's policy?
The Policies of William McKinley. As the new century came, the time seemed ideal for Americans to survey other parts of the world outside their continental borders. William McKinley, one of the most adored Presidents in history, helped the country achieved milestones both within the nation and abroad. When the new era came, the United States was ...
Why did McKinley move the tariffs upward?
McKinley pursued moving the tariff income upward to decrease internal taxes and to encourage the growth of the domestic industry and further increase the employment of Americans workers in the country . With that, the Dingley Tariff Act was created and increased the rates to an average of 49 percent.
What did McKinley believe about trusts?
He believed that massive consolidations within the industry were needed for foreign competition. But, he also aimed to ensure that the interest of the public would still be secured.
Why did McKinley give power to John Hay?
With fears that the Japanese and Europeans might ban ports in China for U.S. commerce, McKinley gave power to John Hay, the U.S. Secretary of State, to write an ‘Open Door’ note to China. The action proved American interest to bring every nation in equal stature with China, without any unfair restrictions or tariffs. Moreover, the circular announced the United States support for a free and independent China. The said policy proved to be one of the most significant policies ever created by the State Department of the United States.
Why did McKinley use federal troops?
It was McKinley’s decision to use federal troops to instill order amid a strike of mine workers that happened in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. But, with all the past efforts of McKinley and patriotism of the workers, it was ample enough to stain the organized labor’s view of the President fully.
How many troops did McKinley send to China?
Knowing what has transpired, McKinley sent 2,500 U.S. troops to China, even without the approval of the House. The force also included gunboats in support of the expeditionary force composed of German, Russian, Japanese, and British soldiers to free the foreign diplomats.
Early Life and Career
President William Mckinley
- After the so-called Panic of 1893 led to a crippling economic depression in the United States, McKinley and his fellow Republicans regained the political advantage over the Democrats. McKinley won the Republican presidential nomination in 1896 thanks to his congressional and gubernatorial experience, his longtime support of protectionism and the sk...
Domestic Agenda
- Soon after taking office, McKinley called a special session of Congress in order to raise customs duties, an effort he believed would reduce other taxes and encourage the growth of domestic industry and employment for American workers. The result was the Dingley Tariff Act (sponsored by the Mainecongressman Nelson Dingley), the highest protective tariff in American history. Mc…
Spanish-American War
- It was foreign affairs that would determine McKinley’s presidential legacy, beginning with an ongoing conflict in Cuba, where Spanish forces were attempting to repress a revolutionary movement. Though the American press and public were outraged by the bloodshed, McKinley hoped to avoid intervention and pressed Spain to make concessions. After the U.S. battleship M…
Reelection in 1900
- In 1900, McKinley again faced William Jennings Bryan, who ran on an anti-imperialism platform, and was re-elected with an even greater margin of victory than he obtained four years earlier. The outcome reflected the American public’s satisfaction with the outcome of the Spanish-American War and the country’s economic prosperity. After his second inauguration in March 1901, McKinl…
Assassination
- At the Pan-American Exposition, McKinley was standing in a receiving line when an unemployed Detroit mill worker named Leon Czolgosz shot McKinleytwice in the chest at point-blank range. Czolgosz, an anarchist, later admitted to the shooting and claimed to have killed the president because he was the “enemy of the people.” He was executed in October 1901. Rushed to a Buffa…
Overview
William McKinley (January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. He was president during the Spanish–American War of 1898, raised protective tariffs to boost American industry, and rejected the expansionary monetary policy of free silver, keeping the nation on the gold standard.
Election of 1896
It is unclear when William McKinley began to seriously prepare a run for president. As McKinley biographer Kevin Phillips notes, "No documents, no diaries, no confidential letters to Mark Hanna (or anyone else) contain his secret hopes or veiled stratagems." From the beginning, McKinley's preparations had the participation of Hanna, whose biographer William T. Horner noted, "What is certainly true is that in 1888 the two men began to develop a close working relationship that hel…
Early life and family
William McKinley Jr. was born in 1843 in Niles, Ohio, the seventh of nine children of William McKinley Sr. and Nancy (née Allison) McKinley. The McKinleys were of English and Scots-Irish descent and had settled in western Pennsylvania in the 18th century. Their immigrant ancestor was David McKinley, born in Dervock, County Antrim, in present-day Northern Ireland. William McKinley Sr. was born in Pennsylvania, in Pine Township, Mercer County.
Civil War
When the Southern states seceded from the Union and the American Civil War began, thousands of men in Ohio volunteered for service. Among them were McKinley and his cousin William McKinley Osbourne, who enlisted as privates in the newly formed Poland Guards in June 1861. The men left for Columbus where they were consolidated with other small units to form the 23rd Ohio Infantry.
The men were unhappy to learn that, unlike Ohio's earlier volunteer regiments, they would not be …
Legal career and marriage
After the war ended in 1865, McKinley decided on a career in the law and began studying in the office of an attorney in Poland, Ohio. The following year, he continued his studies by attending Albany Law School in New York state. After studying there for less than a year, McKinley returned home and was admitted to the bar in Warren, Ohio, in March 1867.
Rising politician (1877–1895)
McKinley took his congressional seat in October 1877, when President Hayes summoned Congress into special session. With the Republicans in the minority, McKinley was given unimportant committee assignments, which he undertook conscientiously. McKinley's friendship with Hayes did McKinley little good on Capitol Hill, as the president was not well regarded by many leaders there. Th…
Presidency (1897–1901)
McKinley was sworn in as president on March 4, 1897, as his wife and mother looked on. The new president gave a lengthy inaugural address; he urged tariff reform, and stated that the currency issue would have to await tariff legislation. He warned against foreign interventions, "We want no wars of conquest. We must avoid the temptation of territorial aggression."
Funeral, memorials, and legacy
According to Gould, "The nation experienced a wave of genuine grief at the news of McKinley's passing." The stock market, faced with sudden uncertainty, suffered a steep decline that went nearly unnoticed in the mourning. The nation focused its attention on the casket that first lay in the East Room of the Executive Mansion and then laid in state in the Capitol before being transported to Canto…
Soldier and Lawyer
- William McKinley, Jr., was born in the village of Niles, Ohio, on 29 January 1843, the seventh of nine children. His father, the manager of a charcoal furnace, worked diligently to house, feed, clothe, and educate his growing family. Placing a higher value on education than on creature comforts, the McKinleys moved to Poland on the other side of Youngstown, where young Willia…
Entry Into Ohio Politics
- The young attorney plunged into politics almost immediately, working for Hayes in the gubernatorial campaign of 1867 and for Grant in the presidential campaign of 1868. McKinley's service to the Republican party brought its initial reward with his election as prosecuting attorney of Stark County in 1869, and for the rest of his life he was either campaigning for public office o…
Mckinley in Congress
- After his election to the United States House of Representatives, McKinley quickly found himself faced with the necessity of taking a position on two issues that had emerged as important ones during the economic troubles of the middle 1870s: the silver and tariff questions. The first pitted the advocates of bimetallism against proponents of the gol...
The Politics of Depression
- The McKinley Tariff, together with lavish expenditures on pensions and pork-barrel schemes, aroused resentment against the "Billion-Dollar Congress," and as a consequence the elections of 1890 brought a Democratic landslide. Yet the Republican losses, including his own, proved a blessing for McKinley. He quickly rebounded to become governor of Ohio for two terms, thereby …
The Election of 1896
- The party conventions of 1896 set the tone for one of the most exciting political campaigns in American history. Meeting in St. Louis in June, the Republicans drafted a platform calling for high tariffs, a large navy, the annexation of Hawaii, and independence for Cuba, but the delegates were most interested in the currency plank. Declaring the party to be "unreservedly for sound money," …
Forming A New Administration
- During the interval between his election and his inauguration, McKinley busied himself with selecting a cabinet and setting his administration in place. Cabinet appointments are never easy to make, for they involve considerations that may have little to do with qualifications of candidates. The president-elect proceeded logically enough and in the end satisfied most of the …
Economic Recovery and Foreign Affairs
- Once he had assumed the responsibilities of office, McKinley immediately turned his attention to measures for assuring economic recovery. The tariff received first consideration, and even before his inauguration McKinley had worked with leaders of the House to secure legislation that would be acceptable. Nelson Dingley, who chaired the Ways and Means Committee, submitted a bill th…
The Coming of War
- The immediate causes of armed conflict lay closer to home than the islands of the Pacific. Cuba, once the center of Spain's New World empire and the richest of Spain's remaining possessions, had long suffered from an oppressive colonial system. During the Ten Years' War of 1868–1878 and again in 1895, the Cuban people rebelled against the mother country. Spanish troops forcibl…
War with Spain
- The report from the commission investigating the Mainedisaster was in the president's hands by 25 March. It concluded that the cause of the explosion was external, and most Americans immediately assumed that Spanish agents had been responsible for it. With war sentiment building up throughout the country and in Congress, McKinley continued to urge caution, still ho…
The Treaty of Paris
- The close of hostilities brought the United States to a critical juncture in international affairs, and along with that development came some important personnel changes in the Department of State. William R. Day cheerfully resigned as secretary—it was an assignment he had accepted with reluctance—and became chairman of the American peace commission that went to Paris to wor…