See more
How did McKinley die?
After about eight days, President McKinley died early on September 14 from an infection caused by a gunshot wound to the abdomen, which may have been worsened by a medical team that didn't use modern sanitary precautions during surgery.
Who shot William McKinley and why?
Czolgosz, a Polish immigrant, grew up in Detroit and had worked as a child laborer in a steel mill. As a young adult, he gravitated toward socialist and anarchist ideology. He claimed to have killed McKinley because he was the head of what Czolgosz thought was a corrupt government.
Who becomes president after McKinley's death?
Vice President Theodore RooseveltMcKinley did not immediately succumb to his injuries, and his recovery was expected after emergency surgery. He died Sept. 14, eight days after the attack, of gangrene caused by the wounds. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in on the same day McKinley died.
Which 4 US presidents were assassinated?
American Presidential AssassinationsAbraham Lincoln. Shot: April 14, 1865. Died: April 15, 1865. Where: Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. ... James Garfield. Shot: July 2, 1881. Died: September 19, 1881. ... William McKinley. Shot: September 6, 1901. Died: September 14, 1901. ... John F. Kennedy. Shot: November 22, 1963.
How many presidents have died from assassination?
FourFour sitting presidents have been killed: Abraham Lincoln (1865, by John Wilkes Booth), James A. Garfield (1881, by Charles J. Guiteau), William McKinley (1901, by Leon Czolgosz), and John F. Kennedy (1963, by Lee Harvey Oswald).
What is William McKinley's famous quote?
“That's all a man can hope for during his lifetime – to set an example – and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history.” ― William McKinley Jr. “The people of this country want an industrial policy that is for America and Americans.” “In the time of darkest defeat, victory may be nearest.”
Who was the youngest US president?
Age of presidents The youngest to become president by election was John F. Kennedy, who was inaugurated at age 43. The oldest person to assume the presidency was Joe Biden, who took the presidential oath of office 61 days after turning 78.
Which US president was shot?
1901: William McKinley McKinley was shaking hands with the public when Polish-American anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him. The president died eight days later on September 14 from gangrene caused by the bullet wounds. He was the third president to be assassinated, and the fifth to die in office.
Why was James Garfield assassinated?
Garfield's assassin was Charles J. Guiteau, whose motive was revenge against Garfield for an imagined political debt, and getting Chester A. Arthur elevated to president. Guiteau was convicted of Garfield's murder and executed by hanging one year after the shooting.
Which US president was shot?
1901: William McKinley McKinley was shaking hands with the public when Polish-American anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him. The president died eight days later on September 14 from gangrene caused by the bullet wounds. He was the third president to be assassinated, and the fifth to die in office.
What was William McKinley's dress?
Impeccably dressed in a boiled white shirt with a starched collar and cuffs, pin-striped trousers, a black frock coat, and a black satin necktie, he was off to Buffalo, New York, ...
Why did Czolgosz take aim at the President?
Czolgosz admitted the shooting. He had taken aim at the President because he believed him to have been the "enemy of the people, the good working people.". Czolgosz expressed no remorse for his actions and died in the electric chair on October 29, 1901.
How did William McKinley die?
President McKinley dies of infection from gunshot wounds. U.S. President William McKinley dies after being shot by a deranged anarchist during the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York on September 14, 1901.
What did McKinley advocate for?
He advocated the protective tariff as a way of shielding U.S. business and labor from foreign competition, and he successfully argued for using the gold standard of currency.
Why did McKinley send troops to China?
In 1900, McKinley sent thousands of U.S. troops to China to help put down the Boxer Rebellion, aimed at driving out foreigners. His aggressive “Open Door” policy declared U.S. support for an independent China and argued that all nations with commercial interests in China should be able to compete on equal footing.
Who was the Republican candidate for president in 1896?
After losing his seat in 1890, McKinley served two terms as governor of Ohio. By 1896, he had emerged as the leading Republican candidate for president, aided by the support of the wealthy Ohio industrialist Mark Hanna. That fall, McKinley defeated his Democratic rival, William Jennings Bryan, by the largest popular margin since the Civil War.
What did McKinley do when he was undecided what to do about Spanish possessions other than?
When McKinley was undecided what to do about Spanish possessions other than Cuba, he toured the country and detected an imperialist sentiment. Thus the United States annexed the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. In 1900, McKinley again campaigned against Bryan.
Where did Hanna meet the delegations?
While Hanna used large contributions from eastern Republicans frightened by Bryan’s views on silver, McKinley met delegations on his front porch in Canton, Ohio. He won by the largest majority of popular votes since 1872.
Who was the representative of the trusts in the McKinley administration?
Newspapers caricatured McKinley as a little boy led around by “Nursie” Hanna, the representative of the trusts. However, McKinley was not dominated by Hanna; he condemned the trusts as “dangerous conspiracies against the public good.”
Who was the advance agent of prosperity?
At the 1896 Republican Convention, in time of depression, the wealthy Cleveland businessman Marcus Alonzo Hanna ensured the nomination of his friend William McKinley as “the advance agent of prosperity.”.
Who is William McKinley's wife?
Copyright 2006 by the White House Historical Association. Learn more about William McKinley’s spouse, Ida Saxton McKinley.
Who was the man who was appointed to the Ways and Means Committee?
At 34, McKinley won a seat in Congress. His attractive personality, exemplary character, and quick intelligence enabled him to rise rapidly. He was appointed to the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Robert M. La Follette, Sr., who served with him, recalled that he generally “represented the newer view,” and “on the great new questions .. was generally on the side of the public and against private interests.”
Who was the 25th president of the United States?
Presidents. 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. At the 1896 Republican Convention, in time of depression, ...
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 was common to the Reed and Allison campaigns?
Another feature common to the Reed and Allison campaigns was their failure to make headway against the tide which was running toward McKinley. In fact, both campaigns from the moment they were launched were in retreat. The calm confidence with which each candidate claimed the support of his own section [of the country] soon gave way to ... bitter accusations that Hanna by winning support for McKinley in their sections had violated the rules of the game.
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.
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 shot President McKinley?
Leon Czolgosz shoots President McKinley with a revolver concealed under a cloth rag. Clipping of a wash drawing by T. Dart Walker. Location. Temple of Music, on grounds of Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, New York. Coordinates. 42°56′19″N 78°52′25″W.
Who was the last person to pose for a photo of President McKinley?
Left to right: Mrs. John Miller Horton, Chairwoman of the Entertainment Committee of the Woman's Board of Managers; John G. Milburn; Manuel de Azpíroz, the Mexican Ambassador; the President; George B. Cortelyou, the President's secretary; Col. John H. Bingham of the Government Board.
What did Czolgosz do to the president?
He was unable to get near the president during an earlier visit, but he shot him twice as McKinley reached to shake his hand in the reception line at the temple. One bullet grazed McKinley; the other entered his abdomen and was never found.
Where did the McKinleys stay in 1901?
McKinley's trip to Buffalo was part of a planned ten-day absence from Canton, beginning on September 4, 1901, which was to include a visit in Cleveland to an encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic; he was a member as a Union veteran. The McKinleys stayed in Buffalo at the Milburn House, the large home of the Exposition's president, John G. Milburn. On Saturday, September 7, they were to travel to Cleveland and stay first at the home of businessman and future Ohio governor Myron Herrick, a friend of the President, and then with McKinley's close friend and adviser, Ohio Senator Mark Hanna. Upon arrival in Buffalo, the presidential party was driven through the fairgrounds on the way to the Milburn House, pausing for a moment at the Triumphal Bridge at the Exposition so the visitors could look upon the fair's attractions.
What was the motivation for the shooting of William McKinley?
Leon Czolgosz. Motive. To advance anarchism ( propaganda of the deed) William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition at the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term. He was shaking hands with the public when anarchist Leon Czolgosz ...
What was McKinley's plan for the Dingley Tariff?
Having long been an advocate of protective tariffs, and believing the Dingley Tariff, passed during his first year in office, had helped the nation reach prosperity, McKinley planned to negotiate reciprocal trade agreements with other countries. This would open foreign markets to United States manufacturers that had dominated the domestic market thanks to the tariff, and who sought to expand. During a long trip planned for the months after his inauguration, he intended to make major speeches promoting this plan, culminating in a visit and address at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo on June 13.
Where did the McKinleys go on their tour?
McKinley, his wife Ida, and their official party left Washington on April 29 for a tour of the nation by train, scheduled to conclude in Buffalo for a speech on what had been designated as "President's Day". He met with rapturous receptions in the Far West, which had never seen a president. In California, the First Lady became seriously ill, and for a time was thought to be dying. She recovered in San Francisco, but her husband canceled the remainder of the tour and the McKinleys returned to Washington. The speech at the Exposition was postponed until September 5, after McKinley spent some weeks in Washington and two months in Canton. He used his time in his Ohio home working on the Buffalo speech and in supervising improvements to his house. He intended to remain based in Canton until October.
What was the crime of Czolgosz?
Czolgosz was convicted of first-degree murder and electrocuted on Oct. 29, 1901.
Who shot McKinley?
McKinley had been in a receiving line, greeting all comers, when Czolgosz, an anarchist, shot him. A suit button deflected one bullet. But the other entered his stomach, passed through his kidneys and lodged in his back. Doctors failed to find the bullet. Ultimately, gangrene spread throughout his body.
Who wrote the book "The New President was in office"?
Writing in 1959, historian Margaret Leech held that the nation experienced a fundamental transition at McKinley's death. As she put it: “The new president was in office. The republic still lived. Yet, for a space, Americans turned from the challenge and the strangeness of the future.
Where did William McKinley die?
Where President McKinley Died. Buffalo, New York. President William McKinley was visiting the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo on September 6, 1901, when he was shot by a crazed assassin. Seriously wounded by two bullets, he was treated in the Expo hospital tent by a doctor with little gunshot experience, who couldn't find ...
What was the room where William McKinley died called?
The room in which McKinley died, called "The Death Chamber," was a bona-fide attraction until it was gutted by a fire in 1907. In 1957, long after people had stopped caring about William McKinley, the house was torn down and replaced with a parking lot. Today a small historical marker is what remains.
Where is the marker for President McKinley?
The historical marker is on the west side of Delaware Ave., just north of W. Ferry St., in front of the parking lot for Canisius High School.
Who shot William McKinley?
On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley is shaking hands at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, New York, when a 28-year-old anarchist named Leon Czolgosz approaches him and fires two shots into his chest.
Why did Czolgosz kill McKinley?
He claimed to have killed McKinley because he was the head of what Czolgosz thought was a corrupt government. Czolgosz was convicted and executed in an electric chair on October 29, 1901. The unrepentant killer’s last words were “I killed the president because he was the enemy of the good people—the working people.”.
How many bullet wounds did McKinley have?
Other presidential attendants rushed McKinley to the hospital where they found two bullet wounds: one bullet had superficially punctured his sternum and the other had dangerously entered his abdomen. He was rushed into surgery and seemed to be on the mend by September 12.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
What happened after the sinking of the Maine?
battleship Maine in Havana's harbor in February 1898 was linked (erroneously, as was later discovered) to an external explosion presumed to be a Spanish mine, McKinley asked Congress for the authority to intervene in the conflict; a formal declaration of war came on April 25.
What happened after the Panic of 1893?
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.
Overview
- McKinleys final scheduled appearance at the Expo began the following day, September 6, when he attended a public meet-and-greet at a theater called the Temple of Music. The affable commander in chief rarely missed an opportunity to meet his constituents, but this particular event had worri…
Presidency (1897–1901)
Early life and family
Civil War
Legal career and marriage
Rising politician (1877–1895)
Election of 1896
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
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.
Overview
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 …
Shooting and death of McKinley
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.
Background
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…
Presidential visit
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…
Aftermath
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…
See also
William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition at the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term. He was shaking hands with the public when anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him twice in the abdomen. McKinley died on September 14 of gangrene caused by the wounds. …
Sources
When given the opportunity to host a public reception for President McKinley, fair organizers chose to site it in the Temple of Music—Louis L. Babcock, grand marshal of the Exposition, regarded the building as ideal for the purpose. The large auditorium was located close to the Esplanade, in the heart of the fair, and had doorways on each of its four sides. In addition to rows of chairs on the flo…
External links
In September 1901, William McKinley was at the height of his power as president. Elected in 1896, during the serious economic depression resulting from the Panic of 1893, he had defeated his Democratic rival, William Jennings Bryan. McKinley led the nation both to a return to prosperity and to victory in the Spanish–American War in 1898, taking possession of such Spanish colonies as Puerto …