Born: January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio Died: September 14, 1901, in Buffalo, New York
Family - Father: William McKinley?, Mother: Nancy Campbell Allison McKinley?, Married: Ida Saxton (1847-1907), on January 25, 1871, Children: Katherine McKinley? (1871-75); Ida McKinley? (1873)
William McKinley? was born in Niles, Ohio, on Jan. 29, 1843. He was one of nine children of working-class parents. His studies at Allegheny College were cut short by illness. He taught school briefly and then joined the Army at the outset of the Civil War. McKinley? was deeply committed to preserving the Union. He saw considerable action throughout the war and left the Army a brevet major in 1865.
After studying in Ohio and New York, McKinley? was admitted to the Ohio bar. He settled in Canton, Ohio, to practice law and participate in Republican politics. He worked for the success of a future president, Rutherford B. Hayes, who had been his commanding officer during the Civil War.
Government Positions: Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1877-91, Governor of Ohio, 1892-96
In November 1896, McKinley? became the first victorious candidate since 1872 to receive a majority of the popular votes cast for the nominees of all parties, and he won 271 Electorial votes to William J. Byran's 176. McKinley? received 7,113,734 popular votes and Bryan 6,516,722. The voting was along sectional lines, with Bryan carrying most of the South and West.
In the presidential election of 1900 the president did not personally campaign, yet he received the largest popular majority ever given a presidential candidate up to that time in a second contest with William Jennings Bryan. McKinley? led in electoral votes, 292 to 155, and in popular votes, 7,219,828 to 6,358,160.
Inaugurated a second time on March 4, 1901, McKinley? looked forward to a new term focused on domestic rather than foreign policies. Early in September, he appeared at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo to make an important speech on America's world role. On September 6 a self proclaimed anarchist named [Leon Czolgosz]? shot him during a public reception in the Temple of Music. Despite early hopes for his recovery, McKinley? died on Sept. 14, 1901, in Buffalo.
This event unleashed a massive wave of anti-anarchist hysteria throughout the States. Emma Goldman was blamed.
Inaugural Addresses:
![[Home]](wikipedia.png)