William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States, but his service to the country began with his enlistment in the Civil War. He served as a prosecutor and held Republican seats in the House of Representatives before becoming governor of Ohio. McKinley won the 1896 presidential election and oversaw America’s success in the Spanish American War, annexation of territories, and establishment of a protectorate over Cuba. He also focused on domestic prosperity and foreign trade. McKinley was assassinated in 1901.
William McKinley is best known as the 25th President of the United States of America. His service to the country, however, began long before he took office as president. McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio on January 25, 29 and, like many young men his age, enlisted in the Civil War in 1843, fighting on the side of the Union Army. After serving in the Civil War, McKinley attended Albany Law School. He practiced law for a while, and became the Sark County prosecutor, serving from 1861 to 1869. In 1871 William McKinley married Ida Saxton.
William McKinley held a Republican seat in the House of Representatives during two separate terms. McKinley’s first term lasted from 1877 to 1882. During this term, McKinley served as chairman of the Law Review Committee. McKinley’s second term in the House of Representatives ran from 1885 to 1891. For some of these years, he was chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, which had jurisdiction over taxes, tariffs, and other revenue-creating measures, as well as various government programs such as social security, unemployment benefits, Medicare, and so on. McKinley is most notable for authoring the McKinley Tariff of 1890, which raised tax rates higher than at any previous time in history.
In 1891, McKinley moved from his seat in the House of Representatives to serve as governor of Ohio, a post he held for two terms. As governor, William McKinley stuck to his growing reputation as a tax-hungry watchdog. He levied excise taxes on companies, curtailed union-busting practices by employers, and enforced safety legislation on behalf of transportation workers.
In 1896 William McKinley left his governorship of Ohio to pursue the Republican presidential nomination, and later began his famous “front porch campaign.” In contrast to most of his fellow Republicans, McKinley appealed to all classes and ethnic groups by promoting the ideals of industry and pluralistic prosperity. This earned him a firm grip on the coveted votes of working ethnic groups and urban areas.
In 1896, William McKinley became the 25th president of the United States of America, marking the beginning of the Progressive Era. He was the last Civil War veteran to be elected to the presidential office. Among his best known accomplishments as president were America’s success in the Spanish American War, the annexation of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam and Hawaii, and the establishment of a protectorate over Cuba.
Domestically, McKinley lived up to his promise of prosperity, resulting in a revival of business and agriculture. Understanding the importance of the media as a tool in staging the political agenda, McKinley established the first White House press room and provided reporters with his version of events. In foreign affairs William McKinley was equally proactive. He pushed for access to foreign markets, expanding American influence through annexation and through changing tariffs to gain more freedom in foreign trade.
On September 6, 1901, while attending the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, William McKinley was assassinated. He was shot twice by anarchist Leon Frank Czolgosz. McKinley survived for eight days but eventually succumbed to a gangrene infection caused by the shooting. He died on September 14, 1901.
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