William McKinley

William McKinley (January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901) was the 25th President of the United States, from 1897 until his assassination in 1901.

Before he became President, McKinley was a congressman of Ohio.

Presidency
McKinley was inaugurated in 1897. This was the first presidential inauguration to be filmed.

When the USS Maine was sunk, the public wanted war. Congress declared war against Spain in Latin America. This was the Spanish-American War. It started the era of imperialism for the United States.

During his presidency, McKinley also supported higher tariffs (taxes on countries which trade with the US). During his term, the United States annexed Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, and Wake Island.

Assassination
McKinley was elected to a second term as president in 1900. His second term did not last very long. He was shot by an anarchist named Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901. His abdominal gunshot wounds became infected and resulted in gangrene. He died on September 14. Czolgosz said the President committed war crimes in the Philippines and was an enemy of the people. Czolgosz was executed in the electric chair. McKinley was the third American President to be assassinated.

After McKinley's death, his vice president Theodore Roosevelt became president.

Other websites

 * William McKinley's White House biography