When we think about "big" presidents, the names usually fall into the same bucket: Lincoln, FDR, maybe Kennedy. William McKinley? He’s often the guy in the black-and-white photo with the high collar who looks like he’s about to sell you a very expensive railroad bond. He feels like a relic.
But honestly, if you look at the DNA of the modern United States—the way we handle the economy, how we project power across the ocean, even the way we run political campaigns—you’ll find McKinley’s fingerprints all over it. He wasn't just a placeholder between the Civil War and the Progressive Era. He was the bridge.
So, what did William McKinley do as president that actually changed the trajectory of the country? Basically, he took a nation that was struggling with a massive economic depression and turned it into a global superpower. He did it with a mix of hard-nosed protectionism, a very lucky gold strike, and a war that lasted only 100 days but changed the map forever.
The "Advance Agent of Prosperity"
In 1896, the U.S. was in a bad way. The Panic of 1893 had left millions unemployed, and the country was screaming about money. Specifically, people were arguing over whether our currency should be backed by gold or silver.
McKinley’s opponent, William Jennings Bryan, was a powerhouse orator who wanted "free silver" to help debt-ridden farmers. McKinley? He stayed on his front porch in Canton, Ohio. Literally. He ran a "Front Porch Campaign," letting the voters come to him while his manager, Mark Hanna, raised a then-unheard-of $4 million from big business.
McKinley won by promising a "full dinner pail." Once in office, he didn't waste time. He signed the Dingley Tariff of 1897, which pushed taxes on imported goods to an average of about 49%. It was the highest tariff in American history at that point. The goal was simple: protect American factories from foreign competition.
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And it worked, or at least the timing was perfect. The economy started roaring back. Shortly after, he signed the Gold Standard Act of 1900, which officially ended the silver debate and put the U.S. firmly on a single gold-backed currency. Investors loved the stability. The "Advance Agent of Prosperity" had delivered.
The War That Built an Empire
If McKinley's first year was about the wallet, his second was about the world. You’ve probably heard of the Spanish-American War. Most people remember the USS Maine exploding in Havana Harbor and Teddy Roosevelt charging up San Juan Hill.
But McKinley was actually the guy trying to avoid the fight. He had served in the Civil War—he was the last veteran of that war to serve as president—and he’d seen enough blood. He reportedly told a friend, "I have been through one war. I have seen the dead piled up, and I do not want to see another."
But the "Yellow Press" (think 1890s clickbait) and public outrage over Spanish atrocities in Cuba were too much. When the Maine blew up in February 1898, the pressure became a tidal wave.
The war was a blowout. In just a few months, the U.S. Navy crushed the Spanish fleets in the Philippines and the Caribbean.
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What the Map Looked Like After 1898:
- Cuba: Became a U.S. protectorate (independent in name, but under our thumb).
- Puerto Rico: Annexed by the U.S.
- Guam: Annexed by the U.S.
- The Philippines: This was the big one. McKinley wrestled with this. He famously said he stayed up late praying for guidance and decided we couldn't just leave them to Spain or let another European power grab them. So, we kept them.
- Hawaii: While the war was happening, McKinley also pushed through the annexation of Hawaii, realizing it was a perfect "coaling station" for ships heading to Asia.
Suddenly, the United States wasn't just a big country in North America. We were an empire with territories thousands of miles away.
The "Open Door" and the Modern Presidency
McKinley also changed how the White House interacted with the world. Before him, the U.S. was pretty isolationist. McKinley’s Secretary of State, John Hay, issued the Open Door Note, which basically told the European powers that they couldn't just carve up China for themselves; everyone should have equal access to trade there. It was a bold move for a country that, just 20 years earlier, had almost no international clout.
He also modernized the office. He was the first president to really use a "war room" with telegraphs to manage troops in real-time. He was the first to have a dedicated press secretary-style operation. He moved the presidency away from being a mere administrator and toward being a "chief executive" who set the national agenda.
A Tragic End and a Complicated Legacy
McKinley won a landslide reelection in 1900, again beating Bryan. He seemed untouchable. But in September 1901, while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, he was shot by an anarchist named Leon Czolgosz.
He didn't die instantly. He survived for eight days, even appearing to recover at one point, before gangrene set in. His death catapulted his Vice President, the high-energy Theodore Roosevelt, into the spotlight.
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History often gives TR the credit for the "American Century," but McKinley built the foundation. He moved the Republican Party toward being the party of big business and internationalism—a coalition that lasted for decades.
However, his record isn't perfect. He was pretty quiet on race relations, doing very little to stop the rise of Jim Crow laws or the epidemic of lynching in the South. He was a "man of his time," which meant he focused on the economy and national expansion while ignoring the deep social fractures at home.
What You Can Do Next
If you want to understand how what William McKinley did as president still affects your life, take a look at these three areas:
- Check Your Wallet: The debate over "sound money" and the Gold Standard is why we have the Federal Reserve system today. Research the "Panic of 1893" to see how closely it mirrors modern financial crises.
- Look at the Map: Puerto Rico and Guam are still U.S. territories today because of McKinley’s 1898 decisions. Understanding the Insular Cases (Supreme Court decisions that followed) explains why residents there have different rights than people in the 50 states.
- Read Up on the "Open Door": Our modern trade relationship with China is a direct evolution of the policy McKinley and John Hay started in 1899.
McKinley might look boring in the history books, but he was the one who pulled the trigger on America becoming a global power. Without him, the 20th century looks completely different.