William McKinley

William McKinley

William McKinley (1843 - 1901) was the twenty-fifth president of the United States of America. His Administration was considered one of the great powers of the world. It was the beginning of vast changes in ways of living and attitudes in America.

McKinley's parents were William and Nancy Allison McKinley. He had eight brothers and sisters of which he was the seventh child. Both parents were of Scots-Irish decent. He was born in 1843 in Niles, Ohio then at the age of nine, he moved with his mother to Poland Ohio, where he had better education opportunities. His father didn't go because he had to take care of a pig-iron foundry that they owned. For eight years McKinley went to Poland Seminary, a private school. Because his mother was very religious, she had a lot of influence on him and accepted her moral standards and convictions.

McKinley met Ida Saxton in 1869 and two years later they married. They had two daughter and after five months after the second child's birth she died of typhoid fever. This was in 1873. As a result of her death, Mrs. McKinley suffered bouts with mental depression and epileptic seizures.

McKinley was 54 when he was elected president in 1897 and was reelected in 1900. His Reelection was short lived because he was assassinated. He was shot by a man named Leon Czolgosz, who was an anarchist, a person who opposes government. He was shot twice, once in the ribs, and once in the stomach. Had McKinley not ordered that he not be hurt, the mob would have beat him to death but he was executed one month later. McKinley was operated on but gangrene set in and it was not curable then. McKinley died eight days later.