Virtual Museum of Art | Virtual Museum of History | Virtual Public Library | Virtual Science Center | Virtual Museum of Natural History | Virtual War Museum
   You are in: Museum of History >> Hall of USA >> US Presidents >> William McKinley

Who was the First U.S. President?
There were actually four first Presidents
of the United Colonies and States of America
Click Here


New Page 1

William Mc Kinley
35th President of the United States
25th under the US Constitution


Message of President William McKinley nominating John Sherman to be Secretary of State -- Courtesy of: National Archives and Records Administration

WILLIAM McKinley, Jr. was born in Niles, Ohio on January 29, 1843. He was the seventh of the nine children of William and Nancy Allison McKinley. Both of his grandfathers had fought in the Revolutionary War and his father’s father had opened a small iron foundry and settled in Niles, Ohio. His mother was a strong woman and a leader in their small village. When William was nine, she moved her family to nearby Poland, Ohio in order that they could pursue a better education, leaving their father behind for a few years to manage the family foundry.

McKinley was enrolled at Poland Seminary, which was a private school, and he studied there for eight years. He showed great skills in oratory and became president of the Everett Literary and Debating Society. His mother held a great influence over young McKinley and he was greatly attached to her. She had hopes that he would enter the Methodist ministry and he accepted without question her strict moral standards.

When he was seventeen, McKinley went to Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. However, his studies there were cut short by an illness. He returned home in 1861 and taught school briefly. That same year as the Civil War broke out, McKinley enlisted in the 23rd Ohio Volunteers. His superior officer was Major Rutherford B. Hayes, the future president of the United States. McKinley’s bravery under fire impressed Hayes and he was promoted and eventually made an aide on Hayes’s staff. McKinley left the army in 1865 with the rank of major.

After the war, McKinley began the study of law in the office of county judge Charles E. Glidden of Youngstown. In 1866 he attended law school in Albany, New York and the following year was admitted to the Ohio bar. He settled in Canton, Ohio to practice law and participate in politics. He was moderately successful as a lawyer, but became one of Canton’s most popular citizens. He worked successfully on the campaign of Hayes, his former commanding officer. In 1869, Republican McKinley was elected the prosecuting attorney for Democratic Stark County. He also had met his future wife, Ida Saxton, daughter of a wealthy Canton businessman and banker. Two yea.rs later, on January 25, 1871, they were married. The couple had two daughters, Katherine McKinley, born in 1871 and Ida McKinley, who died after five months. After Ida’s death in 1873, Mrs. McKinley suffered a mental breakdown and when Katherine died from typhoid fever in 1873, it became more than she could bear. She suffered seizures and bouts of mental depression for the rest of her life

In 1876, McKinley at the age of 33 was elected to represent the northeastern Ohio district in Congress. He held that seat for 14 years with the exception of one term. He was noted for his honesty, and as a powerful speaker – a hardworking, conservative politician.

In 1889, McKinley was elected chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which developed financial legislation and he became a prominent national figure. In 1890, he wrote the McKinley Tariff Act that imposed the highest tariffs that the United States had ever placed on imports. It was devised to protect all American manufacturers but it was very unpopular because it made it hard for Americans to purchase cheap foreign goods.

McKinley attracted the attention of Cleveland industrialist, Marcus A. Hanna who was eager to be the maker of a president and to be the man who exercised power behind the scenes. McKinley was a champion of protective tariffs and an extremely popular politician and with Hanna’s help, he was elected Governor of Ohio in 1891. Governor McKinley supported tax reform including higher rates for corporations and even though he had called out the National Guard on a coal miner strike that had turned violent, he retained the support of the workingman.

In 1893, McKinley’s political career was almost ruined when a friend went bankrupt and left McKinley responsible for debt of $130,000 through bank notes he had endorsed. Hanna and his wealthy friends who repaid the debt saved McKinley.

In 1896, with the aid of Hanna, who had left his private business to devote full time to his candidacy, McKinley was nominated for the presidency. His opponent was William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic nominee. The campaign was unusual. Bryan toured the country delivering his famous “cross of gold” speech and McKinley waged a “front porch” campaign from his home in Canton. Hanna urged big businesses to rally in support of McKinley and they contributed an unprecedented sum of $3.5 million to the Republican campaign. The country was flooded with McKinley pamphlets and posters and factory managers warned their workers that a victory for Bryan would mean depression and loss of their jobs. Sweeping all the large industrial states, McKinley won the election by 271 electoral votes to Bryan’s 176. The Republicans also won control of both houses of Congress. During the next four years McKinley was able to fulfill party pledges and for the next 14 years, there was unbroken Republican control of the Presidency, the Senate and the House.

At 54 years of age, McKinley was a handsome vigorous man at his inauguration. Despite Ida’s poor health, she accompanied her husband and took part in many of the social activities of the White House. McKinley never allowed formal duties to interfere with his care for her. His attentiveness to her and his concern for domestic harmony was mirrored in his efforts to seek harmony in society at large.

In the friendly atmosphere of the McKinley Administration, industrial combinations developed at an unprecedented pace. Prosperity returned and took the demands for economic reform out of the picture. McKinley openly represented large business interests; he sponsored no reform legislation and ignored existing laws that were designed to regulate big business. But foreign policy dominated the McKinley Administration, as many businesses began to favor expanded foreign trade to obtain new markets for their products.

On February 15, 1898, the American battleship Maine exploded in the Havana, Cuba harbor and 266 men died. On April 25th, Congress enacted a resolution declaring war on Spain and in the 100-day war; the United States destroyed the Spanish fleet outside Santiago harbor in Cuba, seized Manila in the Philippines and occupied Puerto Rico. Successful conclusion of the war with Spain brought peace to Cuba and economic concessions to American business.

McKinley also supported the annexation of Hawaii in 1898. In 1893, American businessmen had overthrown Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani with help from American troops. President Grover Cleveland had found the rebellion dishonorable and refused to annex the islands. McKinley saw the issue differently stating the country needed Hawaii just as much and more that we did California.

In 1900, McKinley again campaigned against Bryan. Although McKinley did not personally campaign, he received the largest popular majority ever given a presidential candidate up to that time. He led in electoral votes 292 to 155.

On March 4, 1901, McKinley was inaugurated for a second time. His term began auspiciously, but came to a tragic end in September. He appeared at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York to make an important speech on America’s world role. On September 6th, while greeting visitors in the Temple of Music at the fair, twice Leon Czolgosz, a deranged anarchist, shot McKinley. One bullet grazed his ribs and a second bullet penetrated his abdomen. The crowd pounced upon Czolgosz and only McKinley’s order “Don’t let them hurt him” saved Czolgosz from a fatal beating. Despite early hopes for his recovery, McKinley died eight days later on September 14, 1901 in Buffalo. Czolgosz was executed in October in Auburn, New York.

 

Presidents of the Continental Congress
United Colonies of The United States

Peyton Randolph
September 5, 1774 to October 22, 1774 
and May 20 to May 24, 1775

Henry Middleton
October 22, 1774 to October 26, 1774

John Hancock
October 27, 1775 to July 1, 1776

 

Presidents of the Continental Congress
United States of America

John Hancock
July 2, 1776 to  October 29, 1777

Henry Laurens
November 1, 1777 to December 9, 1778

John Jay
December 10, 1778 to September 28, 1779

Samuel Huntington
September 28, 1779 to February 28, 1781


Presidents of the United States
in Congress Assembled

Samuel Huntington
1st President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
March 1, 1781 to July 6, 1781

Thomas McKean
2nd President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
July 10, 1781 to November 5, 1781

John Hanson
3rd President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
November 5, 1781 to November 4, 1782

Elias Boudinot
4th President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
November 4, 1782 to November 3, 1783

Thomas Mifflin
5th President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
November 3, 1783 to June 3, 1784

Richard Henry Lee
6th President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
November 30, 1784 to November 23, 1785

John Hancock
7th President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
November 23, 1785 to June 6, 1786

Nathaniel Gorham
8th President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
June 1786 - November 13, 1786

Arthur St. Clair
9th President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
February 2, 1787 to October 29, 1787

Cyrus Griffin
10th President of the United States 
in Congress Assembled
January 22, 1788 to March 4, 1789


Presidents of the United States
under the
United States Constitution

 

George Washington (F)

John Adams (F)

Thomas Jefferson (D-R)

James Madison (D-R)

James Monroe (D-R)

John Quincy Adams (D-R)

Andrew Jackson (D)

Martin Van Buren (D)

William H. Harrison (W)

John Tyler (W)

James K. Polk (D)

David Atchison (D)*

Zachary Taylor (W)

Millard Fillmore (W)

Franklin Pierce (D)

James Buchanan (D)

Abraham Lincoln (R)

Jefferson Davis (D)**

Andrew Johnson (R)

Ulysses S. Grant (R)

Rutherford B. Hayes (R)

James A. Garfield (R)

Chester Arthur (R)

Grover Cleveland (D)

Benjamin Harrison (R)

Grover Cleveland (D)

William McKinley (R)

Theodore Roosevelt (R)

William H. Taft (R)

Wilson  Woodrow (D)

Warren G. Harding (R)

Calvin Coolidge (R)

Herbert C. Hoover (R)

Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)

Harry S. Truman (D)

Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)

John F. Kennedy (D)

Lyndon B. Johnson (D)

Richard M. Nixon (R)

 Gerald R. Ford (R)

James Earl Carter, Jr. (D)

Ronald Wilson Reagan (R)

George H. W. Bush (R)

William Jefferson Clinton (D)

George W. Bush (R)


 

*President for One Day

**President Confederate States of America

   

Current Order of Presidential Succession

The Vice President
Speaker of the House
President pro tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs

   

Research Links

Virtualology is not affiliated with the authors of these links nor responsible for its content.

 

Presidential Libraries

 

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

McKinley Memorial Library

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum - has research collections containing papers of Herbert Hoover and other 20th century leaders.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum - Repository of the records of President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt, managed by the National Archives and Records Administration.

Harry S. Truman Library & Museum

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library - preserves and makes available for research the papers, audiovisual materials, and memorabilia of Dwight and Mamie D. Eisenhower

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library

Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum

Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation

Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum

Jimmy Carter Library

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library - 40th President: 1981-1989.

George Bush Presidential Library

 


Start your search on William McKinley.


The Congressional Evolution of the United States Henry Middleton


Unauthorized Site: This site and its contents are not affiliated, connected, associated with or authorized by the individual, family, friends, or trademarked entities utilizing any part or the subject's entire name. Any official or affiliated sites that are related to this subject will be hyper linked below upon submission and Evisum, Inc. review.

Copyright© 2000 by Evisum Inc.TM. All rights reserved.
Evisum Inc.TM Privacy Policy

Search:

About Us

 

 

Image Use

Please join us in our mission to incorporate The Congressional Evolution of the United States of America discovery-based curriculum into the classroom of every primary and secondary school in the United States of America by July 2, 2026, the nation’s 250th birthday. , the United States of America: We The People Click Here

 

Historic Documents

Articles of Association

Articles of Confederation 1775

Articles of Confederation

Article the First

Coin Act

Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

Emancipation Proclamation

Gettysburg Address

Monroe Doctrine

Northwest Ordinance

No Taxation Without Representation

Thanksgiving Proclamations

Mayflower Compact

Treaty of Paris 1763

Treaty of Paris 1783

Treaty of Versailles

United Nations Charter

United States In Congress Assembled

US Bill of Rights

United States Constitution

US Continental Congress

US Constitution of 1777

US Constitution of 1787

Virginia Declaration of Rights

 

Historic Events

Battle of New Orleans

Battle of Yorktown

Cabinet Room

Civil Rights Movement

Federalist Papers

Fort Duquesne

Fort Necessity

Fort Pitt

French and Indian War

Jumonville Glen

Manhattan Project

Stamp Act Congress

Underground Railroad

US Hospitality

US Presidency

Vietnam War

War of 1812

West Virginia Statehood

Woman Suffrage

World War I

World War II

 

Is it Real?



Declaration of
Independence

Digital Authentication
Click Here

 

America’s Four Republics
The More or Less United States

 
Continental Congress
U.C. Presidents

Peyton Randolph

Henry Middleton

Peyton Randolph

John Hancock

  

Continental Congress
U.S. Presidents

John Hancock

Henry Laurens

John Jay

Samuel Huntington

  

Constitution of 1777
U.S. Presidents

Samuel Huntington

Samuel Johnston
Elected but declined the office

Thomas McKean

John Hanson

Elias Boudinot

Thomas Mifflin

Richard Henry Lee

John Hancock
[
Chairman David Ramsay]

Nathaniel Gorham

Arthur St. Clair

Cyrus Griffin

  

Constitution of 1787
U.S. Presidents

George Washington 

John Adams
Federalist Party


Thomas Jefferson
Republican* Party

James Madison 
Republican* Party

James Monroe
Republican* Party

John Quincy Adams
Republican* Party
Whig Party

Andrew Jackson
Republican* Party
Democratic Party


Martin Van Buren
Democratic Party

William H. Harrison
Whig Party

John Tyler
Whig Party

James K. Polk
Democratic Party

David Atchison**
Democratic Party

Zachary Taylor
Whig Party

Millard Fillmore
Whig Party

Franklin Pierce
Democratic Party

James Buchanan
Democratic Party


Abraham Lincoln 
Republican Party

Jefferson Davis***
Democratic Party

Andrew Johnson
Republican Party

Ulysses S. Grant 
Republican Party

Rutherford B. Hayes
Republican Party

James A. Garfield
Republican Party

Chester Arthur 
Republican Party

Grover Cleveland
Democratic Party

Benjamin Harrison
Republican Party

Grover Cleveland 
Democratic Party

William McKinley
Republican Party

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican Party

William H. Taft 
Republican Party

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic Party

Warren G. Harding 
Republican Party

Calvin Coolidge
Republican Party

Herbert C. Hoover
Republican Party

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic Party

Harry S. Truman
Democratic Party

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican Party

John F. Kennedy
Democratic Party

Lyndon B. Johnson 
Democratic Party 

Richard M. Nixon 
Republican Party

Gerald R. Ford 
Republican Party

James Earl Carter, Jr. 
Democratic Party

Ronald Wilson Reagan 
Republican Party

George H. W. Bush
Republican Party 

William Jefferson Clinton
Democratic Party

George W. Bush 
Republican Party

Barack H. Obama
Democratic Party

Please Visit

Forgotten Founders
Norwich, CT

Annapolis Continental
Congress Society


U.S. Presidency
& Hospitality

© Stan Klos

 

 

 

 


Virtual Museum of Art | Virtual Museum of History | Virtual Public Library | Virtual Science Center | Virtual Museum of Natural History | Virtual War Museum