 An Overview of McKinley's First AdministrationWilliam McKinley guided the United States onto
the path toward world leadership. During his term,
American business flourished at home and abroad, and
American soldiers and sailors won the Spanish-American War. Guam, Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and
American Samoa all came under the Stars and Stripes.
The number of business trusts reached a
new high under McKinley, and his administration did
little to enforce the antitrust laws. Electric lights and
telephones added to the excitement of McKinley's day, as
did the newfangled "horseless carriages."
| Election
of 1896 |
| Place of Nominating
Convention |
St. Louis |
| Ballot on Which
Nominated |
1st |
| Democratic Opponent |
William
Jennings Bryan |
| Electoral Vote |
271 to 176 |
| Popular Vote |
7,102,246 to 6,492,559 |
| |
|
| Vice-President and
Cabinet |
| Vice-President |
Garret A. Hobart |
| Secretary
of State |
John Sherman
William R. Day (1898) |
| Secretary
of the Treasury |
Lyman J. Gage |
| Secretary
of War |
Russell A. Alger
Elihu Root (1899) |
| Attorney
General |
Joseph McKenna
John W. Griggs (1898) |
| Postmaster
General |
James A. Gary
Charles E. Smith (1898) |
| Secretary
of the Navy |
John D. Long |
| Secretary
of the Interior |
Cornelius N. Bliss
Ethan A. Hitchcock (1898) |
| Secretary
of Agriculture |
James Wilson |
| |
|
Major
Domestic Events of His Administration
Population in 1901: 77,600,000 |
| 1897 |
Congress passed Dingley Tariff
Act. |
| 1898, February 15 |
The battleship Maine
exploded in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. |
| 1898, April 25 |
Congress declared war on Spain. |
| 1898 |
The United States annexed
Hawaii. |
| 1899 |
As a result of the treaty ending
the Spanish-American War, the U.S. takes
possession of Puerto Rico and Guam, and purchases
the Philippines. It also takes military control
of Cuba. |
| 1899 |
The United States issued the
"Open-Door" notes asking for equality
of trde in China. |
| 1900 |
Two islands in the Samoan
Islands came under U.S. control. |
| 1900 |
The Gold Standard Act was
passed. |
| 1900 |
The American Baseball League was
organized. |
| |
|
| Major
World Events of His Administration |
| 1898 |
The Spanish-American War was
fought. |
| 1898 |
Pierre and Marie Curie isolated the element
radium. |
| 1899-1901 |
The British and Dutch fought the
Boer War. |
| 1899-1901 |
The Filipinos revolted against
American rule. |
| 1900-1901 |
The Boxer
Rebellion flared in North China. |
World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago:World
Book-Childcraft International, Inc., 1979.
American President. millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/mckinley
Internet Public Library. www.ipl.org/div/potus/wmckinley.html
Spanish-American
War
Philippines
Puerto Rico
William Jennings
Bryan
Cuba
Samoan
Islands
Marie Curie
Boxer
Rebellion
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