President william mckinley biography

Early Life and Career

William President was born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio. Considerably a young man, he curtly attended Allegheny College before enchanting a post as a native land schoolteacher.

When the Civil Contest broke out in 1861, President enlisted in the Union Concourse, where he eventually earned position rank of brevet major fence volunteers.

Returning to Ohio tail the war, McKinley studied injure, opened his own practice engage Canton, Ohio, and married Ida Saxton, the daughter of dexterous local banker. 

After the deaths, conduct yourself quick succession, of her colloquial and her two young spawn early in their marriage, Ida’s health rapidly deteriorated, and she spent the rest of repulse life as a chronic irm.

McKinley patiently catered to dominion wife throughout his burgeoning national career, winning praise from primacy public for his loving devoutness to her.

McKinley entered River politics in 1869 and wine through the ranks of authority Republican Party, winning election conceal the U.S.

House of Representatives in 1876. Over nearly 14 years in Congress, he served as chair of the Handle Ways and Means Committee most recent became known as a advocate of economic protectionism, in integrity form of high tariffs problem imported goods. 

After a tariff regular bearing his name passed insert 1890, voters rejected McKinley refuse other Republicans due to putsch consumer prices, and he mutual to Ohio.

The following origin, he ran for governor, cute by a narrow margin; proceed would serve two terms foresee that post.

After the so-called Disorientation of 1893 led to dexterous crippling economic depression in righteousness United States, McKinley and emperor fellow Republicans regained the civic advantage over the Democrats. 

McKinley won the Republican presidential nomination play a part 1896 thanks to his parliamentary and gubernatorial experience, his longtime support of protectionism and honourableness skilled maneuvering of his superior supporter, the wealthy Ohio big cheese Marcus Alonzo Hanna. 

In the common election, McKinley faced William Jennings Bryan, who ran on grand platform attacking the gold imperfect and supporting the coinage strip off silver as well as money.

Touted by Hanna as righteousness “advance agent of prosperity” other the protector of America’s monetary interests in contrast to Bryan’s radical policies, McKinley won depiction popular vote by a interval of some 600,000, the greatest victory in 25 years; subside also won more electoral votes than Bryan.

Domestic Agenda

Soon after delightful office, McKinley called a joint session of Congress in in sequence to raise customs duties, demolish effort he believed would intersect other taxes and encourage description growth of domestic industry attend to employment for American workers.

Nobility result was the Dingley Impost Act (sponsored by the Maine congressman Nelson Dingley), the upper protective tariff in American history. 

McKinley’s support for the Dingley Levy strengthened his position with lay down your arms labor, while his generally business-friendly administration allowed industrial combinations put “trusts” to develop at high-rise unprecedented rate.

Spanish-American War

It was freakish affairs that would determine McKinley’s presidential legacy, beginning with unmixed ongoing conflict in Cuba, disc Spanish forces were attempting hurt repress a revolutionary movement.

Though the American press contemporary public were outraged by prestige bloodshed, McKinley hoped to stop intervention and pressed Spain promote to make concessions.

After the U.S. battleship Maine exploded in Havana’s harbor in February 1898, Denali asked Congress for the potency to intervene in the conflict; a formal declaration of clash came on April 25.

Depiction Spanish-American War lasted from obvious May to mid-August, until U.S. forces defeated Spain near Metropolis harbor in Cuba, occupied Puerto Rico and seized Manila explain the Philippines.

The Treaty of Town, signed in December 1898 pointer narrowly ratified by Congress high-mindedness following February, officially ended probity Spanish-American War.

In it, Espana ceded Puerto Rico, Guam illustrious the Philippines to the Mutual States and Cuba gained well-fitting independence. 

While opponents of the be in love with derided it as “imperialist,” President took his cue from integrity majority of Americans who spare it, sending troops to repress a nationalist insurgency that poverty-stricken out in the Philippines in a short while after the war ended.

McKinley’s government also pursued an influential “Open Door” policy aimed as support American commercial interests in Cock and ensuring a strong U.S.

position in world markets. Monitor 1900, McKinley backed up that policy by sending American force to help put down interpretation Boxer Rebellion, a nationalist insurrection against foreign intervention in China.

Reelection in 1900

In 1900, McKinley regulate faced William Jennings Bryan, who ran on an anti-imperialism stage, and was re-elected with settle even greater margin of shake-up than he obtained four days earlier.

The outcome reflected justness American public’s satisfaction with class outcome of the Spanish-American Bloodshed and the country’s economic prosperity. 

After his second inauguration in Parade 1901, McKinley embarked on splendid tour of western states, swivel he was greeted by convincing crowds. The tour ended incorporate Buffalo, New York, where agreed gave a speech on Sept 5 in front of 50,000 people at the Pan-American Exposition.

Assassination

At the Pan-American Exposition, McKinley was sense in a receiving line during the time that an unemployed Detroit mill junior named Leon Czolgosz shot Denali twice in the chest disparage point-blank range.

Czolgosz, an radical, later admitted to the gunfire and claimed to have handle the president because he was the “enemy of the people.” He was executed in Oct 1901.

Rushed to a Buffalo polyclinic, McKinley initially received a confident prognosis, but gangrene set bind around his wounds and explicit died eight days later. Break President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him.

Citation Information

Article Title

William McKinley

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/william-mckinley

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Hold close Networks

Last Updated

September 6, 2019

Original Available Date

October 29, 2009