The life of william mckinley

Born in Niles, Ohio, on January 29, , McKinley briefly attended Allegheny College, and was teaching in a country school when the Civil War broke out. His mother, Nancy Allison McKinley, a devout Methodist, was a guiding influence in his life. It was against her wishes that he joined the Union Army. As a commissary sergeant during the Battle of Antietam, he risked his life to bring food and supplies to the front lines, and he served with distinction through some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. He was mustered out at the end of the war as a brevet major of volunteers. McKinley then studied law, opening an office in Canton, Ohio. In , he married Ida Saxton, the daughter of a prominent Canton banker.

In , McKinley won a seat in Congress. His intelligence, attractive personality, and exemplary character made him a dependable party regular. During his fourteen years in the House of Representatives, he was appointed to the powerful Ways and Means Committee, became a leading defender of American industry and a Republican tariff expert, and gave his name to the McKinley Tariff enacted in After losing a bid for a seventh term in Congress, he was elected to two terms as the governor of Ohio, serving from to

THE MCKINLEY PRESIDENCY –

When McKinley's name was put forth as a

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