Mckinley
25th President of the United States
Biography Before Becoming President
McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 in Ohio. He went to Allegheny College than became a school teacher. He enlisted in the Union Army when there was a civil war in 1861. When he returned from war McKinley studied law. He married Ida Saxton, and had two daughters. He cared for Ida, when she was ill, which won him praise from the public. In 1869 McKinley decided to enter the World of politics and became President in in 1897.
What he did as President
As President, McKinley...
- Led the nation to victory in the 1898 Spanish-American War
- Gained control of Puerto Rico, Guam, Cuba, and the Philippines as part of the peace settlement
- Made the gold standard the official backing of American currency
- In 1898 made Hawaii a part of U.S. territory
- Made trade with the Chinese open to all western nations
- Promoted the American industry through the Dingley tariff act
- Gave the president authority to negotiate lower rates with individual nations
5 Interesting Facts
- In 1934 McKinley's face was on the $500 bill
- McKinley wore carnations as good luck charms
- McKinley's parrot could whistle to the tune of Yankee Doodle.
- McKinley was the first president to use a telephone to campaign.
- All things yellow were removed from the White House because Ida hated yellow
(1897) - (1901)
This is a portrait of McKinley who served only 4 years as President.
$500 face
McKinley's face appears on the $500 bill
Young McKinley
This is a portrait of McKinley when he was only 15 years old.