William+McKinley+-2nd+Hr

=__William McKinley__= By Emily Kakos and Alex Cooper =__﻿Timeline__= 1843- Born in Niles, Ohio on Janurary 29th 1859- Began attending Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, but dropped out due to illness 1861- Enlisted in the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry 1866- Briefly attended Albany Law School in New York 1867- Was admitted into the bar 1871- Married Ida Saxton, daughter of a local banker, on Janurary 25th 1871- Daughter Kathrine McKinley was born 1873- Daughter Ida McKinley was born, but only lived for a couple of months 1876- Daughter Kathrine dies 1876- Elected into the U.S. House of Representatives 1891- Ran for governor of Ohio and won 1893- Reelected as governor of Ohio 1896- McKinley and his friends worked hard to ensure he would get the presidential nomination 1896- Was elected President of the United States 1898- Declared war against Spain in April due to U.S. Battleship //Maine// being blown up in Havana Harbor 1900s- Trouble ensued in China, troops captured Beijing and forced China to pay indemnities 1990- McKinley ran again for President against Bryan with running mate Theodore Roosevelt 1901- McKinley went to Buffalo, New York on Semptember 5th for an address, and was shot twice the day after the speech while shaking hands with the crowd 1901- September 14th, McKinley died in Buffalo, and Theodore Roosevelt became President

=__Life Before Presidency__= William McKinley was born on Janurary 29th 1843 in Niles, Ohio. He moved to Poland, Ohio at the age of 10. Bill was the 7th of 8 children, and spent his childhood fishing, hunting, ice skating, horseback riding, and swimming. From his father, he gained a strong work ethic, and a respectful attitude. His mother instilled in him the value of prayer, courtsey, and honesty in his life. Upon graduating high school, he entered Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. However he only attended one term due to financial difficulties and illness. William joined 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry when the Civil War started. Throughout the war he proved himself a valient soldier on the battlefield, serving on the staff of Colonel Rutherford E. Hayes, future president of the United States. He retained his relationship with Hayes throughout his life and ended his army experience as a Brevet Major. This title stayed with him throughout his political career.

=__﻿**Campaign**__= McKinley overpowered the political field at the opening of the 1896 presidential nomination convention. Mckinleys political views, such as protectionism as a solution to unemployment, and his populatity with the whole Republican Party gave him the extra boost to win the Republican nomination. One prong of Mckinley's presidential platform consisted of endorising protective tarrifs. He supported the gold standard, but was open to an international agreement involving bimetallism. He supported equal pay for equal work for women, and a board of arbitration to settle all labor disputes. Mckinley also supported the acquisition of Hawaii, expansion of the navy, and the construction of a canal that would stretch across Central America. Mckinleys opponent was William Jennings Bryan, a former congressman from Nebraska. Contrary to Mckinley, Jennings stirred crowds with his attack on the gold standard and his support of bimetallism and free silver. Jennings platform consisted of his opposition to the protective tariff, the immigration of foreign labor, and the ending of strikes completly. He supported Federal income tax, the stronger enforcement of Interstate Commerce, and statehood for the western states. The populist party realized that the democrats shared the same ideas as them, and also nominated Bryan (joined forces).

McKinley raised a staggering $4 million for the campaign. He delivered over 300 speeches, all from his front porch. In contrast, Bryan traveled the nation, covering 18,000 miles in just 3 months. Bryans pace soon began to falter, and Democrats began to loose faith in him. The populists also lost faith in him and much of both parties deserted him.

Mckinley won by approximatly 600,000 votes, the biggest electoral win in 25 years. Mckinleys win launched a period of Republican power that lasted until 1932, with the exception of Woodrow Wilson in 1912.

Mckinley was easily re-nominated in 1900 because of his immense popularity in office. The Deomocrats again nominated Bryan and Grover Cleveland took the spot as his running mate. Bryan once again tried the silver approach but that platform wasn't very strong becuase gold had really helped the economy over the years. The Democrats instead tried to place more emphisis on expansionism and protectionism. The Republicans duplicated the tactics of 1896 by spending several million dollars on 125 million campaign documents. Theodore Roosevelt, Mckinleys running mate, traveled across the nation telling America how Bryan was a dangerous threat to its status and prosperity. Once again, Mckinley won the election, and the Republican Party became the major political party in the nation.

=﻿**__What was happening in America?__**= One of the most important issues that Mckinley had to deal with during his Presidency was Bimetallism and tarrif legislation. Through most of 1897, Mckinley wanted an international agreement to include silver, along with gold, as an aceptable backing for European currencies. If magor European countries would go along with it, Mckinley supported bimetallism. When that failed in late 1897, Mckinley signed the Gold Standard Act, which placed US money on the gold standard. All currency was fully backed by gold, whos price was at $20.67 and ounce.

Mckinley called a specal session of Congress to revise the tariff legislation. Mckinley had campaigned to increase the tariff income both as a means of reducing taxes and encouraging the expansion of industry and employment in America. The Dingley Tariff Act raised rates to an average of 49%. the bill included a grant of authority to the Mckinley, which allowed him to negotiate reductions of up to 20%. Mckinley, however, did not remain a supporter of tariffs for the duration of his presidency. Just a day before he died, he announced his support for reciprocal trade treaties, which was a huge difference in his thinking about trade policy.

In the matter of monopolies in the country, Mckinley differentiated in his mind between good trusts and bad trusts. He thought that giants of industry were necessary in the face of international competition, but still wanted to protect the public interest. He talked in 1890 of strengthening the Sherman Antitrust Act but he proposed no new legislation. His successor in office, Theodore Roosevelt would be called upon to decide between "bad" trusts and "good" trusts.

Mckinley was very popular among the labor orginizations because of the Dingley Tariff. His appointment of various leaders to government positions and his endorsement of the Erdman Act, which created a mechanism for mediating wage disputes on railroads, as well as his exclusion of Chinese workers encourged labor leaders.

=﻿__America and the Foreigners__= It was becoming apparent that as the turn of the century arrived, for the first time there would be no new frontiers for the Americans to conquer. This firghtened some, who thought that America would not be as great without a new frontier to conquer, but others thought it would be too costly and would bring non white people into America, so they were alright with not conquering anything else.

It was during this time, when the nation was split, that McKinley was forced to deal with the problem of Cuba. Spains repressive rule over Cuba caused much indignation with the American public and they raised money and even fought on the side of the Cuban nationilists. In 1897, it appeared that a resoultion between Spain and Cuba was on the horizon, with Spain closing the reconcentraiton camps and granting the Cubans limitied autonomy. This turned out to be untrue, and Mckinley ordered the US battleship //Maine// to the Havana harbor both to protect American citizens and to show the Spansh that America did still value their friendship. All seemed to be going well, until a letter was intercepted by the Cuban nationalists. The letter both insulted Mckinley and stated that Cuba was not taking well the negotiations with the US. Soon after, on February 15th,1898, there was an explosion that ended up sinking the //Maine// and killing 266 crew nenbers, Mckinley and Spain began to search for a diplomatic solution to the problem, but the Navy reported that it was a Spanish mine explosion that destroyed the ship. Seeing no other option, Mckinley asked Congress for permission to intervene in Cuba. Congress approved the intervention and Spain declared war on the US shortly after. Once it was decided that the US and Spain were at war with each other, Congress added the Teller Amendment, which stated that Cuban Independence was all the US was fighting for and there would be no intention to exercise leadership or take control once the war was over. Once war had been declared, events moved swiftly in Americas favor. The US navy destroyed Spanish fleets and on August 12th, a cease fire was declared. America had won, the war had only been three months long and there was less than 400 Americans killed in action. the Paris Peace Treaty was signed on December 10th, 1898. According to the treaty, the US obtaines Puerto Rico, Guam, and for an extra 20 million, the Philippine Islands. Cuba remained under US military occupation till 1902, and after that was a protectorate until 1934,

After the war with Spain had ended, the Filipinos began to revolt. Mckinley responded to them by sending thousands of American marines and sailors to the islands. A war began and the US was charged with the same atrocity that Spain had with its dealings with Cuba. The war lasted till 1902 and claimed the lives of some 200,000 Filipinos.

America was not only interested in the Philippines when it came to interacting with Asia, China was emerging as a major concern for the Mckinly administration, Fearful that the Japanese and Europeans would close Chinas ports to US commerce and trade, Mckinley issued an "open door" policy on China. This gave the US's support for a non-colonized and independent China, and the desire to place all commercial nations on an equal footing with China. A little speed bump in the plan was the Boxer Rebellion. A group of Chinese nationalists who objected all the foreigners in their country massacred missionaries from the west and Chinese people who converted to Christianity. Mckinley dispatched 2,500 US troops to assist a combined force of Brits, Germans, Russians, and Japanese troops, but made it clear that the intervention was only to rescue diplomats, not to bring China under control of Europeans and Japanese control. By August, the allied force had successfully put out the Boxer Rebellion, and China was forced to pay an indemnity in excess of $300 miillion, $25 million of which was owed to the US. =__Family Life__= Bill McKinley married Ida Saxon on January 25th 1871. She was the daughter of a local banker. His first daughter Kathrine was born 1871. In 1873 his second daughter was born named Ida. Ida died 4 months later. After giving birth to Ida, First Lady Ida McKinley was stricken with a lifelong illness that included epileptic seizures and phlebitis. In 1876 Kathrine died. He usually spent his evenings playing cards with his wife or his personal secretary, answering letters, and taking walks or carriage rides. Just before going to bed each night, he enjoyed taking a drink of whiskey. He enjoyed dressing up an meeting people and his trademark pink carnation always decorated his lapel. Although some of McKinley's supporters expressed frustration over his fair-minded approach to life, almost anyone who had spent time with him enjoyed being around him. =__Assassination__= William Mckinley traveled more than any American President up to that time. On the morning of September 6th, 1901, dressed in a white shirt, pinstripped trousers, and a black satin nectie, he traveled to Buffalo, New York, where he was to give a speech at the Pan-American Eposition. At the the public reception he stood at the head of a moving line of people waiting to shake hands and greet him. It was in this greeting line that Leon Czolgosz, a 28 year old Polish Detroiter and anarchist fired a concealed .32 Iver Johnson into the presidents chest. Even as he lay bleeding, he ordered his guards not to hurt Leon, and urgently told his private secretary to be careful how his wife was told the news. Though the doctors predicted a recovery, Gangrene, the death of tissues, had already set in around the bullet wounds. He died on September 14th, 1901, just six months into his second inauguration. Leon Czolgosz proudly addmited to shooting the President for what he believed was a good cause. He died on the electric chair on October 29th, 1901. =__Legacy__= == Preseident Mckinley was remembered as a managed president. He was seen as a man who acted decisively when all the cards had been played. Someone who asserted presidential authority over his cabinet and generals. His insight on nominating Theodore Roosevelt as his Republican VP, even though many in his party disagreed, showed how smart he was. He introduced the use of the telephone, and press to manage war and political campaigns, His successors soon became more comfortable in using them also. Mckinely was not boisterous or charismatic like his successors, especially the Roosevelts and Wilson, but he was an astute and patient politician. His political skills and quiet confidence enabled him to make firm desicions, even if they were not poular ones. He worked successfully and truly tried to fix America. Up to his dying day, he was shakig the hands of the people he loved, and that is how he will be remembered. A man of the People.

=__Bibliography__=

Kelly, Martin. "William McKinley Biography - Twenty-Fifth President of the United States."//American History From About//. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. . Riehecky, Janet. // William McKinley: America's 25th President //. New York: Children's, 2004. Print.

Venezia, Mike. // William McKinley: Twenty-fifth President 1897-1901 //. New York: Children's, 2006. Print.

"William McKinley Biography." // American Presidents: Biographies, Facts, Quotes, Pictures, Speeches //. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. . "William McKinley." // The White House //. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. .