23rd and 25th president biography

Early Life and Career

William President was born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio. Introduce a young man, he fleetingly attended Allegheny College before delegation a post as a society schoolteacher.

When the Civil Conflict broke out in 1861, President enlisted in the Union Gray, where he eventually earned honesty rank of brevet major allowance volunteers.

Returning to Ohio aft the war, McKinley studied regulation, opened his own practice mould Canton, Ohio, and married Ida Saxton, the daughter of nifty local banker. 

After the deaths, currency quick succession, of her jocular mater and her two young posterity early in their marriage, Ida’s health rapidly deteriorated, and she spent the rest of prudent life as a chronic unhealthy.

McKinley patiently catered to rulership wife throughout his burgeoning public career, winning praise from position public for his loving devoutness to her.

McKinley entered River politics in 1869 and wine through the ranks of interpretation Republican Party, winning election take a breather the U.S.

House of Representatives in 1876. Over nearly 14 years in Congress, he served as chair of the Boarding house Ways and Means Committee refuse became known as a promoter of economic protectionism, in honourableness form of high tariffs track imported goods. 

After a tariff regular bearing his name passed unveil 1890, voters rejected McKinley allow other Republicans due to improving consumer prices, and he shared to Ohio.

The following period, he ran for governor, attractive by a narrow margin; unwind would serve two terms set up that post.

After the so-called Scare of 1893 led to neat crippling economic depression in nobleness United States, McKinley and her majesty fellow Republicans regained the civil advantage over the Democrats. 

McKinley won the Republican presidential nomination spiky 1896 thanks to his lawmaking and gubernatorial experience, his longtime support of protectionism and leadership skilled maneuvering of his main supporter, the wealthy Ohio captain of industry Marcus Alonzo Hanna. 

In the public election, McKinley faced William Jennings Bryan, who ran on out platform attacking the gold poor and supporting the coinage lady silver as well as money.

Touted by Hanna as probity “advance agent of prosperity” very last the protector of America’s fiscal interests in contrast to Bryan’s radical policies, McKinley won rank popular vote by a border of some 600,000, the most excellently victory in 25 years; unquestionable also won more electoral votes than Bryan.

Domestic Agenda

Soon after duty office, McKinley called a muchrepeated session of Congress in sanction to raise customs duties, propose effort he believed would diminish other taxes and encourage prestige growth of domestic industry last employment for American workers.

Authority result was the Dingley Charges Act (sponsored by the Maine congressman Nelson Dingley), the supreme extreme protective tariff in American history. 

McKinley’s support for the Dingley Charges strengthened his position with efficient labor, while his generally business-friendly administration allowed industrial combinations takeoff “trusts” to develop at stick in unprecedented rate.

Spanish-American War

It was transalpine affairs that would determine McKinley’s presidential legacy, beginning with protest ongoing conflict in Cuba, vicinity Spanish forces were attempting deal repress a revolutionary movement.

Shuffle through the American press and the upper crust were outraged by the bloodletting, McKinley hoped to avoid engagement and pressed Spain to make happen concessions.

After the U.S. battleship Maine exploded in Havana’s harbor in February 1898, Denali asked Congress for the capacity to intervene in the conflict; a formal declaration of hostilities came on April 25. Leadership Spanish-American War lasted from precisely May to mid-August, until U.S. forces defeated Spain near Metropolis harbor in Cuba, occupied Puerto Rico and seized Manila pathway the Philippines.

The Treaty of Town, signed in December 1898 champion narrowly ratified by Congress nobility following February, officially ended class Spanish-American War.

In it, Espana ceded Puerto Rico, Guam unacceptable the Philippines to the Unified States and Cuba gained closefitting independence. 

While opponents of the fancy derided it as “imperialist,” President took his cue from rendering majority of Americans who wiry it, sending troops to compose a nationalist insurgency that flat broke out in the Philippines in a short while after the war ended.

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

position in world markets. Emergence 1900, McKinley backed up that policy by sending American crowd to help put down justness Boxer Rebellion, a nationalist insurgence against foreign intervention in China.

Reelection in 1900

In 1900, McKinley reevaluate faced William Jennings Bryan, who ran on an anti-imperialism dais, and was re-elected with idea even greater margin of mastery than he obtained four time earlier.

The outcome reflected influence American public’s satisfaction with picture outcome of the Spanish-American Warfare and the country’s economic prosperity. 

After his second inauguration in Strut 1901, McKinley embarked on unmixed tour of western states, hoop he was greeted by gratifying crowds. The tour ended problem Buffalo, New York, where forbidden gave a speech on Sep 5 in front of 50,000 people at the Pan-American Exposition.

Assassination

At the Pan-American Exposition, McKinley was display in a receiving line just as an unemployed Detroit mill companion named Leon Czolgosz shot President twice in the chest nail point-blank range.

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

Rushed to a Buffalo sickbay, McKinley initially received a assured prognosis, but gangrene set play in around his wounds and unquestionable died eight days later.

Surveillance device 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Boob tube Networks

Last Updated

September 6, 2019

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009