William mckinley was the 25th president of the united states, serving from march 4, 1897, until his assassination on september 14, 1901, after leading the nation to victory in the spanishamerican. The best biographies of william mckinley my journey through. Watch this video about president william mckinley providing interesting, fun facts and info about the life biography of william mckinley, president of america. The mckinleys were of english and scotsirish descent and had settled in western pennsylvania in the 18th century, tracing back to a david mckinley who was born in dervock, county antrim, in presentday northern ireland. He was educated at poland ohio seminary and allegheny college. Making use of extensive original research in manuscript collections in the united states, great britain, and france, gould argues that during mckinleys four and a half years in the white house the executive office began to resemble the institution as the twentieth. The mckinley tariff was controversial and received a lot of criticism. Mckinley was unwilling to return to the reconstruction methods of the ulysses s. Murdering mckinley the making of theodore roosevelts. William jennings bryan ran as a democrat with a progressive platform, and.
Review of in the days of mckinley by margaret leech. Aug 31, 2015 if not for a mountain, what is president mckinleys legacy. Smart news keeping you current how president william mckinleys assassination led to the modern secret service before mckinleys death, the president didnt have one united protective squad. Review of in the days of mckinley by margaret leech my. In his measured, insightful biography, president mckinley. President william mckinley was the 25th president of the united states. She also talked about the battle itself and about the monument to. Oct 23, 2017 as men and politicians, presidents polk 18451849 and mckinley 18971901 would seem to have had little in common polk, a small, plain, secretive and introspective man. He entered politics and was elected as a republican to congress in 1876.
As a whole, the book was a very well written description of the murder of william mckinley and of the affects it imposed on the country. Although this book begins by tearing down mckinleys predecessor, there is very little other bias displayed. In president mckinley, architect of the american century, robert w. Making use of extensive original research in manuscript collections in the united states, great britain, and france, gould argues that during mckinleys four and a. For many years, william mckinleys presidency was considered just mediocre by historians. Dec 09, 2015 what does mckinleys election in 1896 teach us about today. Published in 1980, this member of the american presidency series is a sober, serious and methodical dissection of mckinleys presidency. The author maintains that mckinley, not his successor, theodore roosevelt, ushered america onto the world stage and jumpstarted the progressive movement. Rejecting the view of many leftist historians that mckinley was not a president of consequence, merry details the momentous events that occurred during the mckinley presidency. Chief justice melville fuller swears in william mckinley as president.
In 1889, he was elected as chairman of the ways and means committee. The 23rd president of the united states who ended the surplus problem. If not for a mountain, what is president mckinleys legacy. Mckinley biography highlights a president to admire. A biography of mckinley s life, from civil war hero to canton attorney, congressman, governor, and to a presidency ended by an assassins bullet, arguing he was a far more consequential president than usually credited. My third biography of mckinley was the presidency of william mckinley by lewis gould. The central question of this compelling book is whether mckinley was a master, or a servant, of political and economic forces of his time.
Open door notes 18991900 a set of diplomatic leathers in which secretary of state john hay urged the great powers to respect chinese right in free and open competition within their spears of influence he did this without ever actually consulting the chinese on the matter the notes stab list the open door policy which sought to ensure access to the chinese market for the us despite the. Merry has written a dynamic biography of a man who presided over a nation of tremendous economic growth, emerging as an imperial power. Feb 12, 2018 historians new book offers a look at president mckinley s role in modern american history. William mckinley s war plans that proclaimed to the world that won the united states had overthrown spanish miss rule, it would give cuba its freedom. Apr 10, 2018 william mckinley is most often perceived as an amiable mediocrity, especially when compared with his successor, the hyperdynamic teddy roosevelt. The life and presidency of william mckinley white house.
In this interpretation of the mckinley presidency lewis l. Reardon talked about president mckinleys participation in the battle of antietam in which he had been a supply sergeant. Congress and as governor of ohio before running for the presidency in 1896. I want peace, mckinley told a mutual acquaintance, and i am told that your friend. Apr 17, 2020 william mckinley, 25th president of the united states 18971901. Merry entertains and enlightens us for almost 500 pages with his answer. Mckinley also showed excellent taste in appointments, which included elihu root, john hay, george cortelyou, philander knox, charles dawes, and william howard taft. After service in the union army in the civil war, he returned to ohio and became a lawyer at canton.
He is best known for leading the nation to victory in the spanishamerican war 1898, taking ownership of the republic of hawaii, purchasing the philippines, guam and puerto rico. William mckinley was the 25th president of the united states. Presidency chart william mckinley 1897 1901 election of 1896 significance of election. Mckinley continued to serve in congress until 1890. Grant administrations and he did not take steps to soften the blow of the 1896 u. Making use of extensive original research in manuscript collections in the united states, great britain, and france, gould argues that during mckinley s four and a half years in the white house the executive office began to resemble the. The presidency of william mckinley began on march 4, 1897, when william mckinley was inaugurated and ended with his death on september 14, 1901. Making use of extensive original research in manuscript collections in the united states, great britain, and france, gould argues that during mckinley s four and a half years in the white house the executive office began to resemble the institution as the twentieth. The murder of mckinley had many lasting impacts on american society. The best biographies of william mckinley my journey. William mckinley is most often perceived as an amiable mediocrity, especially when compared with his successor, the hyperdynamic teddy roosevelt.
Mckinley was sworn in as president on march 4, 1897, as his wife and mother looked on. When william mckinley assumed the presidency in 1897, he reversed the policy of his predecessor, democrat grover cleveland, and advocated hawaiian annexation. A biography of mckinleys life, from civil war hero to canton attorney, congressman, governor, and to a presidency ended by an assassins bullet, arguing he was a far more consequential president than usually credited. Making use of extensive original research in manuscript collections in the united states, great britain, and france, gould argues that during mckinley s four and a. Of the takeaways from roves book, i would emphasize his story of mckinleys outreach to. Under his leadership, the country went to war against spain in 1898 and thereby acquired a global empire, which included puerto rico, guam, and the philippines. During his presidency there were many murders, torturings, and civil rights violations throughout the country against african americans. Theres also been a congressional push to change the name led.
Oct 04, 2011 watch this video about president william mckinley providing interesting, fun facts and info about the life biography of william mckinley, president of america. This position allowed him to push for the enactment of the mckinley tariff of 1890. William mckinley, 25th president of the united states 18971901. William mckinley january 29, 1843september 14, 1901 was the 25th president of the united states. Critics or admirers of mckinleys presidency will agree it was a momentous one and that merrys is a fairminded profile of its central actor.
Mckinley biography highlights a president to admire, emulate. When mckinleys name was put forth as a presidential candidate in the mid1890s, he began what became known as his front porch campaign inviting voters to visit him at home. William mckinley, 18431901, 25th president of the united states 18971901, b. The amendment testified to the ostensibly antiimperialist designs of the initial war plans. Presidency chart william mckinley 18971901 presidency. What does mckinleys election in 1896 teach us about today. In this lesson, learn a bit about mckinley and his time in office, as well as his untimely assassination at the hands of a dubious. Three quarters of a million people made the pilgrimage to canton to hear mckinley speak. In many ways, this book is less a traditional presidential biography than a lifeandtimes centered around mckinley and his presidency. Making use of extensive original research in manuscript collections in the united states, great britain, and france, gould argues that during mckinleys four and a half years in the white house the executive office began to resemble the institution as the twentieth century would know it. When president william mckinley was murdered at the panamerican exposition in buffalo, new york, on. Through the assassination, america recieved a push towards progressivism, and became a wake up call to american politics.
How president william mckinleys assassination led to the. Merry reexamines mckinley and his legacy and puts a fresh twist on the old tale, one in which mckinley belongs far more to the modern american presidency than is generally known. He was elected to congress were he became an expert on the protective tariff. Historians new book offers a look at president mckinleys role in modern american history. He won his second election by campaigning with the focus of imperialism, prosperity, and free coinage of silver. As men and politicians, presidents polk 18451849 and mckinley 18971901 would seem to have had little in common polk, a small, plain. William mckinley biography, presidency, assassination. Gould contends that william mckinley was the first modern president. The 4 years of mckinley s presidency, beginning in 1897, were chockfull of dramatic events. William mckinley, the president who actually was responsible for americas new role in the world, is largely overlooked or forgotten. As a longtime champion of protective tariffs, the republican mckinley ran on a. William mckinley assassination and presidency history. A tariff is a law imposing taxes on imported goods. Most americans know about roosevelts courage under fire during the spanishamerican war as a colonel of the rough riders in cuba.
Gould as the new century loomed just over the horizon, the time seemed ripe for many americans to look beyond their continental borders to a place of destiny in the world. Architect of the american century is a solid history of william mckinleys life and presidency. A fresh biography of the shortlived presidency of william mckinley 18431901, an unlikely figure to be presiding over the transformation of america. Architect of the american century, the author persuasively argues that mckinley, not roosevelt, was the true architect of americas rise to global power. Nov 06, 2017 in merrys new book, president mckinley. Bryandemocrat the 1896 presidential election demonstrated a movement in american society away from the extreme concentration on agriculture and toward a society that embraced industrialism. Nov 07, 2017 in president mckinley, architect of the american century, robert w.
It is, however, written in a stolid prose that lacks the narrative ability of better know popular historians like carro, chernow, mccullough, or millard. Although it never strays too far from mckinley, there are numerous stretches where he is only peripheral to the story and. List of books and articles about william mckinley online. The 4 years of mckinleys presidency, beginning in 1897, were chockfull of dramatic events. Mckinleys presidency is often most remembered for two things. Mckinley, however, was unable to push a new annexation treaty through congress that year. He secured his republican nomination for his first election. He was, many of them believed, an executive who was easily controlled by political cronies and who was pressured into war with spain by the media and public outrage. In working on my book, i developed a genuine fondness for him.
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