William McKinley Essay Example For Students

William McKinley Essay William McKinley Twenty-Fifth President 1897-1901 Born: 1/29/1843 Birthplace: Niles, Ohio William McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio, on Jan. 29, 1843. He taught school, then served in the Civil War, rising from the ranks to become a major. McKinley opened a law office in Canton, Ohio, and in 1871 married Ida Saxton. Elected to Congress in 1876, he served there until 1891, except for 188385. His faithful advocacy of business interests culminated in the passage of the highly protective McKinley Tariff of 1890. With the support of Mark Hanna, a shrewd Cleveland businessman interested in safeguarding tariff protection, McKinley became governor of Ohio in 1892 and Republican presidential candidate in 1896. The business community, alarmed by the progressivism of William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate, spent considerable money to assure McKinleys victory. The chief event of McKinleys administration was the war with Spain, which resulted in the United States acquisition of the Phili ppines and other islands. (whitehouse.gov) Fast Fact: Under William McKinley the Nation gained its first overseas possessions. . (www.mckinley.lib.oh Plagiarism and Cheating Essay