biography
pronunciation:
[muhkinlee]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1843–1901)
|
| biography:
| US statesman and 25th president (1897–1901), born in Niles, Ohio, USA. After briefly teaching, then serving in the Civil War, he studied law in Ohio and began practising in 1867. His interest in politics took him to the US House of Representatives (Republican, Ohio, 1877–91), where his campaign for a protective trade policy finally resulted in the high McKinley Tariff of 1890. Although that tariff contributed to his losing his seat in 1890 (and the Republicans' losing the presidency in 1892), he became governor of Ohio (1891–7). In 1896 he ran a successful presidential campaign with the help of big business and Republican king-maker, Mark Hanna. A new high tariff soon appeared, but more urgent matters took precedence; reluctantly giving in to widespread militant sentiment, he declared war on Spain in 1898. After a short war, America found itself a colonial nation in possession of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, and McKinley was soon endorsing international initiatives from Cuba to China. He was re-elected in 1900 with Theodore Roosevelt as vice-president, but on 6 September 1901 he was shot by an anarchist, Leon F Czolgosz, and died eight days later. Although personally decent, honest, and well-intentioned, McKinley would always be associated with the special interests of big business and party politics. |
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