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William McKinley-- Early Years
On January 29, 1843, William McKinley was born into the world. His parents were William and Nancy McKinley. He was the seventh child born into a family of eight. He was born in Niles, Ohio. He also grew up in a Methodist household. -
Ida Saxton McKinley-- Early Years
Ida Saxton was born on June 8, 1847. Her parents were Kate Dewalt Saxton and James Saxton. Ida was the eldest of three children and she was particularly close to her sister Mary. Ida attended Canton Union School in Canton, Ohio. When she was fifteen she transferred to Delphi Academy in Clinton County, New York in 1862. This was her first boarding school. In 1863, Ida went to The Sanford School inm Cleveland Ohio and then in 1865 she transferred to the Brooke Hall Female Seminary. -
The College Year
McKinely graduated high-school from a Methodist school in Poland, Ohio. McKinley attended the Allegheny College for one term.The college is in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Due to illness and financial hardships, McKinley left the college in the Spring of 1861. McKinley highly valued education. -
Military Service
McKinley served in the Civil War. He was part of the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. McKinley proved himself in the war, as he was a brave young fighter in the battle of Antietam. While holding the title of Second Lieutenant, McKinley served on the staff of Rutheford B. Hayes, a great general and future president. After spending four years in the armed forces, McKinley retired with the honorable title of brevet major. -
McKinley's Marriage
William McKinley married Ida Saxton in 1871. William was 27 and Ida was 23 at the time. They were married at the First Presbyterian Church in Canton, Ohio. Ida met McKinley at a picnic in 1867, but did not start dating him until the year of 1869. Two short years later they were married and had their first child on the way. -
Katherine "Kaite" McKinley
William and Ida had their first child, Katherine, just months after they got married. When she was born, the McKinley's showered her with love and adoration. She was the center of their universe, the one person they would do anything for. But their hearts were torn to pieces when they found out that she had typhoid fever. A few days after becoming ill with typhoid fever, Katherine died. She died on June 25, 1875, Katherine was only three years old. -
Ida "Little Ida" McKinley
Little Ida McKinley was the second daughter of William and Ida McKinley. Ida's mother, Little Ida's grandmother, died two weeks before the birth of the infant Ida. Little Ida was born following a very difficult delivery. She died just four months after her birth on August 20, 1873. She had a very short life and the McKinley's were devastated because they have just lost a daughter that was so dear to them. -
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William McKinley's Everyday Life
Although he was outgoing by nature, as President, McKinley rarely entertained because of the lasting emotional toll the loss of the McKinley's two young daughters had on his wife. He enjoyed quiet evenings at home reading poetry to his wife while she crocheted. He didn't have any hobbies and was not ever involved in sports. An easy-going companion, he always wore a fresh red carnation and a white vest. He empathized with farmers who were being mistreated by big business, but did not interfere. -
Ida McKinley's Breaking Point (William's Stresses)
After the deaths of Ida and William's two daughters, she never fully recovered. Ida ended up developing epilepsy, a disease that there was no treatment for in the late nineteenth century. President McKinley gave his wife his full attention. He would break White House protocol by seating her by his side at State dinners. He knew his death would ruin her and cautioned his personal secretary to tell her the news gently. -
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Serving in Congress
William McKinley seved in the House of Representatives where he earned an outstanding reputation. During the 14 years of his service, McKinley was able to do many fantastic things. Although McKinley was not elected to serve in Congress every single year he ran, he had a very good track record. He was in favor of tarrifs on imported goods. His most notable achievement was getting the McKinley Tariff Act passed, which placed a tax on all imported goods. -
Entering Congress
McKinley won his first seat in Congress at the age of 34. Due to his charismatic nature, he was able to establish great prestige and power in Congress rather rapidly. He served on the powerful Ways and Means Committee where he was able to exemplify his charisma. McKinley was modern in his thinking and usually favored the public instead of the private sector. While serving in Congress, McKinley became the leading Republican tariff expert, as he was very wise and skilled in the field of politics. -
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Governor of Ohio
McKinley served two terms as governor of Ohio. As governor, he was oppposed to regulating public utilities, although Hanna was for it. McKinley helped lower state debt by placing excise taxes on corporations. He placed saftey devices on railroads, set up a state arbitration board, put down lynchings, and provided aid to unemployed coal miners. Overall, McKinley spent his time as governor working for the people. -
Becoming Governor
In 1891, William McKinley was elected governor of Ohio. Marcus Hanna greatly influenced McKinley's win. His honestly, loyalty, and dignity won him quite a bit of support. He easily won the election and was a popular fellow. McKinley was a major player in the Republican Party, as he was favorable with the Sherman-Hanna faction. He was a popular speaker, and therefore, could easily persuade citizens to side with him. -
McKinley Becomes President
William McKinley was elected president of the United States of America in 1897. He was the 25th president elected. In 1897-1899, William McKinley's Vice President was Garret A. Hobart. Garret died at the age of 55 from heart disease. Taking his place as Vice President in 1900 was Theodore Roosevelt. -
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William McKinley Serves as President
During his presidency, William McKinley did several notable things. He was a big supporter of tariffs, and worked exceptionally hard at revising the tariff laws. He increased the custom duties by 57%, which contributed to national prosperity. McKinley involved the US in the Cuban civil war. He also enters into war with Spain in 1898. Hawaii was annexed by McKinley. During his presidency, McKinley did several important things. -
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William McKinley's Impact on America
President William McKinley's reputation has been looked over and over in recent years. For the first sixty years after McKinley's death, historians believed McKinley was a weak president. They believed he got pressured into the war with Spain by popular passions and the press. Historians gave more credit to Theodore Roosevelt, who they said had most of the characteristics that McKinley lacked. McKinley is now described as a cunning, manipulative leader bent on expanding American influence. -
Tariff and Currency
During McKinley's administration, the two important issues of tariff and currency were overshadowed by the Spanish-American War. McKinley had two beliefs when he was governer and later president: favorable tariff to stimulate American business and limited coinage of silver. When McKinley was running for president, he beat his opponent because McKinley favored tariffs as protection for prosperity for the nation and a limit on silver. In 1890, he sponsored a protective tariff that uses his name. -
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The War with Spain
From the beginning of his administration, President McKinley was concerned about the Cuban insurrection. He attempted to prevent war and persuade the Spanish government to adopt a conciliatory policy with the Cuban insurrectionists. McKinley wanted to end the fighting between the rebels and Spanish forces. The U.S. Navy destroyed the Spanish Caribbean squadron on July 3 as it attempted to escape the U.S. naval blockade of Santiago. -
McKinley's Down Time
William McKinley enjoyed meeting new people and dressing up for the occasion. He always wore a pink carnation and he liked giving it to aquaintances as a personal token of his affection. He was a christian gentleman that did not like swearing. He also often prayed before making big desicions, such as gonig to war with Spain. He had a fair-minded approach on life. -
William McKinley's Assassination
William McKinley was filling out his presidential duties on September 6 when tradegy struck. After greeting the public, a young man in line named Leon Czolgosz held a .32 caliber Iver-Johnson revolver covered with a handkerchief. He approached the President and fired two shots to his chest, but only one bullet entered McKinley. McKinley was rushed to surgery where doctors attempted to remove the bullet, but was unsuccessful because they could not find it. -
William McKinley's Death
After McKinley took a bullet wound to the chest, he could not recover. Eight short days after he was shot, he died at a hospital in the Exposition. He left his wife in his wake and she was devastated. Her whole family was gone. -
Theodore Roosevelt Becomes President
Theodore Roosevelt becomes the 26th President of the United States after the assassination of William Mckinley. He was the youngest president to date. He supported the idea that the best government would be one that was a controller of differing economic forces. He changed domestic and foreign policy. He kept some of Mckinley's ideas as well. -
A Nation Mourns
On September 6, 1901 crowds gathered at the Exposition's Emergency Hospital where Mckinley was being treated. The media and public nervously awaited the medical bulletin. They wanted to know if he was okay. They tried to lift spirits after the harrowing news. Many people attended his funeral. -
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Roosevelt's Presidency
During Roosevelt's Presidency the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty was signed on November 18, 1901. This treaty gave the British power of an isthmian canal to the U.S. The Senate ratified the treaty on December 16. On April 29, 1902 the Chinese Exclusion Act was prolonged. This act forbid the Chinese to immigrant to the Phillipines. on May 12, 1902, the Crater Lake National Park in Orgeon was created. June 17, 1902, Roosevelt signs the Newlands Reclemation Act. This Act endorsed irrigation projects. -
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America after Mckinley's Death
William Mckinley changed America. He had achievments in Domestic Policy and Foreign Policy. In Domestic Policy, he created the gold standard as official banking in America and fought to stop sectionalism with the North and South. In Foreign Policy, he guided the nation to a victory in the Spanish-American War, annexed the independent Republic of Hawaii, created the Open Door Policy and raised tarrifs with the Dingley Tarrif Act. He transformed America for the future. -
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William Mckinley's Funeral
September 16-17 in 1901 was a somber day for America. They laid another president to rest. Mckinley's body was placed in the East Room and then moved to the Capitol for the state funeral. He was then taken by train to Canton, Ohio where he was buried. Ida stayed by his casket's side while it was in Washington. Many people attended. -
Leon Czolgosz's Trial and Execution
Leon Czolgosz was executed for the assassination of William McKinley. He was killed by electric chair a month after the president's death. His trial was on September 23, where he was in a near death state. He eventually admitted that he did kill the president and no one else was involved. Czolgosz was said to be the 50th person to die by the electric chair in New York. -
Ida Mckinley's Death
Ida Mckinley died on May 26, 1907 in Canton, Ohio. Ida died of a supposed seizure. Others say she died of brain cancer. She was 60 years old. She was laid to rest at the Mckinley Mausoleum. -
Mckinley Mausoleum
The Mckinley National Memorial was dedicated on September 30, 1907 in Canton, Ohio. It holds Mckinley, his wife and their two daughters. It is 22 acres and is Renaissance architecture. It was desgined and built by Harold Van Buren Magonigle. Today it is a tourist attraction. -
End of Roosevelt's Presidency
Roosevelt ended his eight year term on March 4, 1909. He was not expected to become president. It was thought that he would stay behind the scenes and not be heard from. That is what the VP did back then. When he came out into the public he changed America for the better.
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