William McKinley (January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901) was the 25th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1897, until his death. McKinley served in the Civil War and rose from private to brevet major. In 1876, he was elected to Congress, where he advocated a protective tariff, which he promised would bring prosperity. His controversial 1890 McKinley Tariff, together with a Democratic redistricting effort aimed at gerrymandering him out of office, led to his defeat in the Democratic landslide of 1890. He then served four years as Governor of Ohio. In 1896, running a front porch campaign, he defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan, and won a rematch four years later. McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish–American War, raised protective tariffs to promote American industry, and maintained the nation on the gold standard in a rejection of free silver. His administration ended with his assassination in September 1901, but his presidency began a period dominated by the Republican Party. (Full article...)