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'''William McKinley, Jr.'''<ref>http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch1.asp</ref> was the 25th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from 1897 until 1901 as a [[Republican]]. In Congress he was a foremost advocate of high tariffs on imported goods that would encourage industry and protect high wages from cheap competition. Defeated after his [[McKinley Tariff]] passed in 1890, McKinley bounced back to win election as governor of Ohio in 1891 and 1893. A tireless speaker, he was the most popular man in the party; his campaign manager [[Mark Hanna]] helped assure his capture of the GOP presidential nomination in 1896, in the midst of a deep depression people blamed on incumbent Democrat [[Grover Cleveland]]. But Cleveland and his conservative, pro-business [[Bourbon Democrats]] were overthrown and the [[Democratic Party|Democrats]] nominated firebrand [[William Jennings Bryan]], who picked up Populist support and crusaded against banks, railroads, and the moneyed East, promising that [[bimetallism|Free Silver]] would pump money into the economy and destroy the wicked. McKinley and Hanna fought back, inventing new techniques in the most heated election campaign in American history. McKinley promised that high tariffs would benefit all Americans—and he introduced the goal of a pluralistic America whereby all Americans of whatever race or ethnicity would share in prosperity. He attacked free silver as dishonesty, and by speaking to hundreds of thousands of voters and organizing massive parades in every town and city in the North, McKinley and Hanna demonstrated they represented the American majority. McKinley won in a landslide, carrying the entire East and Midwest and parts of the West. He won huge majorities in most cities, and switched the large German American vote to the GOP, along with most factory and railroad workers, then middle classes, and the more prosperous farmers. The election of 1896 realigned American politics, as 1896 was a critical election marking the dividing line between the [[Third Party System]] of the Civil War and Gilded Age, and the [[Fourth Party System]], usually called the Progressive Era.

'''William McKinley, Jr.'''<ref>http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch1.asp</ref> was the 25th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from 1897 until 1901 as a [[Republican]]. In Congress he was a foremost advocate of high tariffs on imported goods that would encourage industry and protect high wages from cheap competition. Defeated after his [[McKinley Tariff]] passed in 1890, McKinley bounced back to win election as governor of Ohio in 1891 and 1893. A tireless speaker, he was the most popular man in the party; his campaign manager [[Mark Hanna]] helped assure his capture of the GOP presidential nomination in 1896, in the midst of a deep depression people blamed on incumbent Democrat [[Grover Cleveland]]. But Cleveland and his conservative, pro-business [[Bourbon Democrats]] were overthrown and the [[Democratic Party|Democrats]] nominated firebrand [[William Jennings Bryan]], who picked up Populist support and crusaded against banks, railroads, and the moneyed East, promising that [[bimetallism|Free Silver]] would pump money into the economy and destroy the wicked. McKinley and Hanna fought back, inventing new techniques in the most heated election campaign in American history. McKinley promised that high tariffs would benefit all Americans—and he introduced the goal of a pluralistic America whereby all Americans of whatever race or ethnicity would share in prosperity. He attacked free silver as dishonesty, and by speaking to hundreds of thousands of voters and organizing massive parades in every town and city in the North, McKinley and Hanna demonstrated they represented the American majority. McKinley won in a landslide, carrying the entire East and Midwest and parts of the West. He won huge majorities in most cities, and switched the large German American vote to the GOP, along with most factory and railroad workers, then middle classes, and the more prosperous farmers. The election of 1896 realigned American politics, as 1896 was a critical election marking the dividing line between the [[Third Party System]] of the Civil War and Gilded Age, and the [[Fourth Party System]], usually called the Progressive Era.

As president McKinley rammed through higher tariffs and the gold standard, and watched prosperity return. Foreign affairs unexpectedly took center stage as Americans recoiled at the atrocities Spain committed to hold onto its colony of [[Cuba]]. McKinley tried to avoid war but public opinion—especially from the Bryanites—demanded it. The result was a "splendid little war," marked by sudden, overwhelming American victories on land and sea, with a few embarrassing bureaucratic mishaps in the War department. Spain quickly gave up and turned over its main colonies, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. The Congress started the war promising Cuba its independence. McKinley decided to keep Guam and Puerto Rico, along with independent Hawaii which voluntarily joined the U.S. After long hesitation McKinley decided also to keep the Philippines. This made imperialism (along with free silver again) a central issue of the 1900 election. McKinley beat Bryan in a second landslide. Six months into his second term McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist and [[Theodore Roosevelt]] became president. McKinley is considered the first modern president for introducing modern campaign methods, for reorganizing the White House staff system, and for making the activities of the President the main ingredient in political news.

As president McKinley rammed through higher tariffs and the gold standard, and watched prosperity return. Foreign affairs unexpectedly took center stage as Americans recoiled at the atrocities Spain committed to hold onto its colony of [[Cuba]]. McKinley tried to avoid war but public opinion—especially from the Bryanites—demanded it. The result was a "splendid little war," marked by sudden, overwhelming American victories on land and sea, with a few embarrassing bureaucratic mishaps in the War Department. Spain quickly gave up and turned over its main colonies, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. Congress started the war promising Cuba its independence. McKinley decided to keep Guam and Puerto Rico, along with independent Hawaii which voluntarily joined the U.S. After long hesitation McKinley decided also to keep the Philippines. This made imperialism (along with free silver again) a central issue of the 1900 election. McKinley beat Bryan in a second landslide. Six months into his second term McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist and [[Theodore Roosevelt]] became president. McKinley is considered the first modern president for introducing modern campaign methods, for reorganizing the White House staff system, and for making the activities of the President the main ingredient in political news.

==Early life==

==Early life==