William McKinley

William McKinley was born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio. He was the seventh of nine children born to William McKinley Sr. and Nancy (née Allison) McKinley. The family was of English and Scots-Irish descent, with ancestors originating from County Antrim in present-day Northern Ireland. The McKinleys settled in western Pennsylvania before moving to Ohio during William McKinley's childhood. William Sr. operated foundries in Ohio, working in New Lisbon (now Lisbon), Niles, Poland, and Canton. The family held Methodist religious beliefs, which influenced McKinley's upbringing.

McKinley attended Poland Seminary, graduating in 1859, and enrolled at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 1860. He studied at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, and was an honorary member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Due to illness and family financial difficulties, he did not complete his studies at Allegheny and returned home in 1860. He worked as a postal clerk and teacher before the outbreak of the American Civil War.

During the Civil War, McKinley enlisted as a private in the Poland Guards in June 1861, which was consolidated into the 23rd Ohio Infantry. He served in western Virginia, including at the Battle of Carnifex Ferry, and later participated in the campaigns against Confederate forces at South Mountain and Antietam. McKinley was promoted to the rank of regimental quartermaster sergeant after the Battle of Antietam. He also served during the Second Battle of Bull Run and the Shenandoah Valley campaigns. His wartime service distinguished him as the last U.S. president to have served in the Civil War, and the only president to have begun his service as an enlisted man and end as a brevet major.

After the war, McKinley settled in Canton, Ohio, where he practiced law and married Ida Saxton. He was elected to Congress in 1876, initially gaining recognition as a Republican expert on protective tariffs. His advocacy for protectionism was reflected in the 1890 McKinley Tariff, which was controversial and contributed to his defeat in the Democratic landslide that year. He was elected governor of Ohio in 1891 and again in 1893, where he took moderate positions balancing business interests and labor.

McKinley's national political prominence grew during a period of economic depression, leading to his nomination for president in 1896. He ran as a Republican candidate advocating for "sound money" based on the gold standard, high tariffs, and American expansionism. His campaign was conducted in a manner known as the "front porch campaign," and he defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan. His presidency, beginning in 1897, saw significant economic growth and policies emphasizing protectionism, including the Dingley Tariff of 1897 and the Gold Standard Act of 1900.

In foreign policy, McKinley's administration pursued overseas imperialism, culminating in the annexation of Hawaii in 1898 and the declaration of war on Spain, resulting in the Spanish-American War. Following the war, the United States acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. The U.S. also gained territory in Samoa through the Tripartite Convention with the United Kingdom and Germany. McKinley's administration faced and suppressed a rebellion in the Philippines.

McKinley's second term was marked by continued focus on imperialism, protectionism, and stability. In the 1900 election, he defeated William Jennings Bryan once more. His presidency was cut short when he was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901. McKinley died on September 14, 1901, and was succeeded by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt.

William McKinley's death marked the end of his presidency, which had significantly influenced the political landscape and territorial expansion of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.