Lived

January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901

Home State

Ohio

Party

Republican

Vice President

Garret A. Hobart; Theodore Roosevelt

William McKinley led the United States into empire through the Spanish–American War and annexed Hawaii. The Treaty of Paris added Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, while the Insular Cases held that the Constitution does not fully follow the flag. McKinley also established the Open Door Policy in China and presided over recovery from the Panic of 1893. His assassination by an anarchist in 1901, six months into his second term, brought Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency. Union Army officer (rose from private to brevet major), U.S. Representative, Governor of Ohio.

Allegheny College (attended); Albany Law School.

Presided over recovery from the Panic of 1893. Annexed Hawaii. Acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines through the Treaty of Paris (1898). Established the Open Door Policy in China. Signed the Dingley Tariff (1897) and the Gold Standard Act (1900).

The Philippine–American War (1899–1902) killed hundreds of thousands of Filipinos. The Insular Cases produced the doctrine that the Constitution does not fully follow the flag. McKinley's high protective tariffs remain contested.