William McKinley
25th President of the United States
(March 4, 1897 to September 14, 1901)
Full Name: William McKinley, Jr.
Nickname: "Idol of Ohio"
Born: January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio
Died: September 14, 1901, in Buffalo, New York
Father: William McKinley, Sr. (1807-1892)
Mother: Nancy Campbell Allison McKinley (1809-1897)
Married: Ida Saxton (1847-1907), on January 25, 1871
Children: Katherine McKinley (1871-75); Ida McKinley (1873)
Religion: Methodist
Education: Attended Allegheny College
Occupation: Lawyer
Political Party: Republican
Other Government Positions:
- Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1877-91
- Governor of Ohio, 1892-96
Presidential Salary: $50,000/year
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1896 William McKinley 7,102,246 271
(map) William J. Bryan 6,492,559 176
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1900 William McKinley 7,218,491 292
(map) William J. Bryan 6,356,734 155
Vice President: Garret A. Hobart (1897-99); Theodore Roosevelt (1901)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- John Sherman (1897-98)
William R. Day (1898)
John M. Hay (1898-1901) - Secretary of the Treasury
- Lyman J. Gage (1897-1901)
- Secretary of War
- Russel A. Alger (1897-99)
Elihu Root (1899-1901) - Attorney General
- Joseph McKenna (1897-98)
John W. Griggs (1898-1901)
Philander C. Knox (1901) - Postmaster General
- James A. Gary (1897-98)
Charles Emory Smith (1898-1901) - Secretary of the Navy
- John D. Long (1897-1901)
- Secretary of the Interior
- Cornelius N. Bliss (1897-99)
Ethan A. Hitchcock (1899-1901) - Secretary of Agriculture
- James Wilson (1897-1901)
Supreme Court Justices:
Joseph McKenna (1898-1925)
Notable Events:
- 1897
- In June, news of gold discovered in Alaska started to reach the rest of the country.
- 1898
- On February 15, the battleship Maine exploded in Havana harbor killing 266 Americans and leading to the Spanish-American War.
- On July 7, McKinley signed a joint congressional resolution annexing Hawaii.
- On December 10, U.S. and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris ending the Spanish American War.
- 1899
- On February 4, fighting erupted between the U.S. and the Philippine Republic leading to the Philippine-American War.
- On September 6, Secretary of State John Hay sends Open Door Notes to the major European powers to keep China open to trade on an equal basis.
- 1901
- On September 6, McKinley shot by Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. McKinley died eight days later.
Internet Biographies:
- William McKinley -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- William McKinley -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- William McKinley -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Facts about McKinley and his presidency.
Videos:
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America's Presidents - William McKinleyMcKinley Shot After Giving Away His Lucky Carnation - a Presidential Story Ep. 19William McKinley | 60-Second Presidents | PBSPresident McKinley's speech at the Pan-American Exposition (High Quality)1 / 2
Historical Documents:
- First Inaugural Address (1897)
- Second Inaugural Address (1901)
- William McKinley Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress
Other Internet Resources:
- The Best Biographies of William McKinley
- In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
- Era of William McKinley
- By K. Austin Kerr at Ohio State University, this resource contains information on McKinley's political career and examples of some of the political cartoons of McKinley's era.
- Health and Medical History of William McKinley
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
- National McKinley Birthplace Memorial
- A memorial, museum and library commemorating the birth of McKinley located in Niles, Ohio. Tourist information available.
- William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
- Experiences include an interactive, hand-on science center, a presidential museum dedicated to the 25th president, a historical library, planetarium and more. Also includes a memorial, the McKinley National Memorial.
Points of Interest:
Plaque in the median of the road.
30 Fordham Drive, Buffalo, New York
800 Mc Kinley Monument Dr NW, Canton, OH 44708
800 McKinley Monument Drive Northwest, Canton, Ohio
36 S Main St, Niles, OH 44446
Plaque in the median of the road.
30 Fordham Drive, Buffalo, New York
800 Mc Kinley Monument Dr NW, Canton, OH 44708
800 McKinley Monument Drive Northwest, Canton, Ohio
36 S Main St, Niles, OH 44446
Additional Facts:
- McKinley was the first president to ride in an automobile. In 1899, he rode with Freelan Stanley of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company in his steam car. He also rode in an electric ambulance that carried him to the hospital after he was shot.
- McKinley was the first president to have his inauguration filmed.
- McKinley was the last Civil War veteran to become president.
- First Lady Ida McKinley didn't like the color yellow. She disliked it so much she had everything yellow removed from the White House.
- McKinley had a pet parrot named "Washington Post."
Quotes:“In the time of darkest defeat, victory may be nearest.”
“Our differences are policies; our agreements, principles.”
“That’s all a man can hope for during his lifetime—to set an example—and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history.”
“In the time of darkest defeat, victory may be nearest.”
“Our differences are policies; our agreements, principles.”
“That’s all a man can hope for during his lifetime—to set an example—and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history.”