WEBVTT

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Imagine stepping back into a late 19th century

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America a nation still, you know healing from

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the Civil War But right on the edge of becoming

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this global superpower a real turning point and

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then picture that whole journey defined by massive

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economic turmoil really passionate political

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debates and then Well, a devastating, just unthinkable

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loss at the very top. Yeah. These are the currents,

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the deep undercurrents that really shaped the

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era of William McKinley. He's one of America's

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most pivotal presidents. But, you know, it's

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surprising how often he gets kind of underrated.

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Welcome to The Deep Dive. Today, we are unpacking

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the life and the legacy of William McKinley,

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the 25th U .S. president. Like you said, he's

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a name we all know from history books, right?

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Right. But the full depth of his impact, how

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he really shaped the America we know today, that

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often gets a bit obscured. His presidency wasn't

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just another chapter. It was a fundamental shift.

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What's truly compelling here, I think, is how

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McKinley's era acts as this profound transition

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point. It's almost like a hinge between the 19th

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and 20th centuries. That's a great way to put

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it. His decisions, both at home and abroad, they

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laid so much of the groundwork for the 20th century.

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They influenced everything from global power

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dynamics to national economic policy in ways

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we're honestly still grappling with, still talking

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about today. He really stood at a crossroads.

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Exactly. So our mission with this deep dive is

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to guide you through McKinley's really remarkable

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journey. We'll start from his time as a determined

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Civil War soldier. Right. through his distinguished

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career in Congress, then his governor, and all

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the way to the White House. We'll examine his

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transformative policies, his personal challenges,

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which were significant, and of course, the lasting,

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often pretty complex legacy he left behind. Right.

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And we're doing this by drawing from the rich

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sources provided to us. And by immersing ourselves

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in McKinley's story, you're getting a powerful

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shortcut, really, to understanding this critical

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turning point in American history. You'll get

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those aha! Yeah. About how the US actually transformed

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into a global power, how these crucial domestic

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economic and social issues were shaped, and how

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those foundational decisions, well, they continue

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to echo in our modern debates. You'll walk away

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with a much clearer picture, I think, of an America

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right on the cusp of significant, really enduring

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change. So let's set the scene then. Let's rewind

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the clock and take us back to the very beginning.

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to the formative years of William McKinley. Okay.

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William McKinley Jr. He made his entrance into

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the world on January 29th, 1843 in the small

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town of Niles, Ohio. He was, believe it or not,

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the seventh of nine children. Wow, big family.

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Yeah, born to William McKinley Sr. and Nancy

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Allison McKinley. The family had deep roots,

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tracing their ancestry back to English and Scots

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-Irish origins. They'd settled in Western Pennsylvania

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way back in the 18th century. And it's interesting,

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their immigrant ancestor, David McKinley, actually

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came from Dervoch, which is in what's now Northern

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Ireland. And this family history, particularly

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their background as ironmakers, that wasn't just

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some side detail, it profoundly shaped William.

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The McKinleys, they moved their operations through

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various towns in Ohio, always kind of following

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the industry. Their household, pretty typical

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for Ohio's Western Reserve region at the time,

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was steeped in strong, Whiggish sentiments, favoring

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Congress, modernization, protective tariffs,

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and they were staunchly abolitionist. Driven

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by faith, largely. Primarily driven by their

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deep Methodist faith, exactly. For William, this

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religious background wasn't just casual. He became

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an active member of the local Methodist church

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when he was 16, and he remained a lifelong, really

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devout Methodist. Early moral grounding, as our

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sources highlight, would indelibly connect to

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his later moral stances. It influenced his public

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life, his private life, particularly his strong

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views on social justice issues, like his public

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opposition to lynching when he was governor later

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on. That's a crucial insight, isn't it? How those

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early influences weren't just background noise,

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but they really laid this deliberate groundwork

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for his future character, his leadership style.

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Absolutely. He got a decent education for the

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time. He attended Poland Seminary, then Allegheny

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College. He even had a brief stint at Mount Union

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College. He was also an honorary member of Sigma

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Alpha Epsilon fraternity. But his early life

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wasn't all smooth sailing. After just a year

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at Allegheny, he fell ill, had to return home

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in 1860. And then, to make things tougher, his

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family's finances declined. Oh dear. Yeah, so

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he couldn't return to college. He had to take

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on work first as a postal clerk, and then as

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a schoolteacher near Poland, Ohio. So these early

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experiences, this blend of intellectual pursuits,

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the comfort of family, but then the stark reality

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of financial hardship and needing to be self

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-reliant coupled with that strong moral upbringing,

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it really prepared him, didn't it? It must have.

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For the profound challenges, the crucible, really,

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of the American Civil War, which erupted just

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a year later in 1861, that resilience maybe even

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empathy honed in his youth, it would definitely

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serve him well. And what an extraordinary crucible

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it was. When the Civil War broke out, like thousands

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of other eager young men across Ohio, McKinley,

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along with his cousin William McKinley Osborne,

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enlisted. They joined as privates in the Poland

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Guards in June 1861. Right. This unit eventually

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got consolidated into the 23rd Ohio Infantry.

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And interestingly, the recruits, they were initially

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unhappy about not being allowed to elect their

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own officers. That was kind of a tradition in

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earlier volunteer regiments. They wanted to choose

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their leaders. Ah, OK. But then Major Rutherford

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B. Hayes, who of course later became president

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himself, he stepped in. He skillfully convinced

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them to accept the government -issued supplies

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and the appointed officers. It showed this kind

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of nuanced leadership that really impressed the

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young McKinley. That's fascinating. Yeah. And

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this interaction, it marked the beginning of

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the Lasting Association, a deep personal friendship

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between McKinley and Hayes. It would profoundly

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influence McKinley's life and career right up

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until Hayes' death in 1893. That early leadership

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connection forged right there in the raw beginnings

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of the war. That's absolutely fascinating. So

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the 23rd Ohio, they soon found themselves in

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Western Virginia fighting Confederate forces

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at Carnifex Ferry. And it wasn't long before

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McKinley, who'd already shown this kind of knack

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for organization and logistics, was assigned

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to the brigade quartermaster office. His efficiency

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was recognized pretty quickly, led to his promotion

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to commissary sergeant in April 1862. Actually,

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a sort of startling bravery began to emerge really

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early on. He proved his medal under fire. Later

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that September, the 23rd, Ohio was called to

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reinforce the Army of Virginia, eventually joining

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the Army of the Potomac. Right. They were among

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the first Union units to engage the Confederates

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at the Battle of South Mountain and then at the

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brutal, bloody Battle of Antietam. I mean, one

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of the deadliest single day battles in American

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history. Unbelievable. And here, the story really

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takes a compelling turn. McKinley came under

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heavy enemy fire while personally bringing hot

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rations to his men right on the front lines.

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It was a crucial act, boosted morale, showed

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incredible courage. Wow. And this act of bravery

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and leadership, it earned him a commission as

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second lieutenant directly from Governor David

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Todd. That was a significant, really well -deserved

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early recognition of his service. Just imagine

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the sheer chaos, the immense bravery needed not

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just to fight, but to lead and actually care

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for your men in the thick of a battle like Antietam.

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Yeah, absolutely. That's kind of decisive action,

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you know, rallying troops, maintaining composure

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under that kind of extreme duress. That was a

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trait that would undeniably serve him later in

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the political arena, wouldn't it? You'd think

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so. His service continued with significant engagement.

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The Battle of Buffington Island, then Floyd's

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Mountain. which McKinley himself described as,

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quote, as desperate as any witness during the

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war. He was promoted to captain after the Second

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Battle of Kernstown and got transferred to General

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Crick's staff. And again, he displayed remarkable

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leadership, personal courage, helped rally panicked

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Union troops during the Battle of Cedar Creek

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after this initial devastating Confederate advance.

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His horse was even shot out from under him at

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Berryville. I mean, that shows you how close

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he was to the action. Incredible. And it wasn't

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just physical bravery, right? We also see these

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early signs of his developing political awareness,

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his commitment to democratic ideals. That's right.

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During the war, he cast his very first presidential

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ballot for Abraham Lincoln. That's a powerful

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demonstration of his commitment to the Union

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cause and its vision for the nation. Just before

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the war's end, he received his final promotion,

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a brevet commission, as major a testament to

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his distinguished service. And then he made this

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principled decision, declined a place in the

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peacetime army, chose instead to return to Ohio,

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civilian life, eager to rebuild his future. But

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his commitment to the war's history didn't just

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end there. No, remarkably, he even co -authored

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and published this formidable 12 -volume work,

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the official roster of the soldiers of the state

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of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 -1866.

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It's just a testament to his dedication to documenting

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the immense sacrifice of that era. So after these

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harrowing years of war, McKinley, now a major,

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decides to pursue a career in law. He really

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dedicated himself, studied in an attorney's office

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in Poland, Ohio, then honed his skills further

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at Albany Law School in New York. By March 1867,

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he was admitted to the bar in Warren, Ohio. That's

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a pretty swift transition, battlefield to courtroom.

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Shortly after, he made the strategic move to

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Canton, Ohio, a growing manufacturing hub. Good

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timing. Yeah. And he quickly formed a successful

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partnership with an experienced local lawyer,

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George W. Belden. His legal practice flourished

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and he made a really astute move, investing in

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Main Street buildings, securing this steady rental

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income that would serve him well for decades.

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But what's truly striking here, I think, is how

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his personal life, even while he's finding this

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professional success and stability, was also

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marked by just profound, devastating tragedy.

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Yeah, it really was. In 1871, he married Ida

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Saxton, the daughter of a prominent, respected

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Canton family. She joined his Methodist church.

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Their life together seemed, you know, promising.

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They welcomed two daughters, Catherine, born

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on Christmas Day 1871, and then Ida, born in

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1873. But this joy was just... tragically short

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lived. Their second daughter, Ida, died the very

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same year she was born. Oh, heartbreaking. And

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then just two years later, in 1875, Catherine

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died of typhoid fever. The cumulative effect

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of these losses was simply... unbearable. That's

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just an unimaginable amount of loss for any couple

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to endure, especially so close together. These

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profound personal sacrifices and challenges McKinley

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faced, they reveal a different deeply human side

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of the public figure we usually focus on, don't

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they? Absolutely. Ida never truly recovered from

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the death of their daughters. She descended into

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this deep depression, developed epilepsy, became

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increasingly fragile, really reliant on McKinley's

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constant presence and dedicated care. Our sources

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repeatedly emphasize his devotion as a husband

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and caregiver. He tended to her medical needs,

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her emotional needs, with just unwavering patience

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and tenderness for the rest of his life. This

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wasn't just duty, it was clearly a profound love

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and commitment that defined his private persona.

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Indeed. And this intimate experience of personal

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suffering, this profound empathy, it undoubtedly

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shaped his character. It must have imbued him

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with a remarkable resilience, a deep understanding

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of human struggle, even as he's embarking on

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this demanding political career. Yeah, it likely

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added layers of compassion to his public life

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that voters often recognized and appreciated.

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And those early political forays, they began

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surprisingly quickly, almost right after setting

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up his law practice. In 1867, he gave speeches

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for his army friend Rutherford B. Hayes' gubernatorial

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campaign. his first real venture into the political

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arena. Then in 1869, he made this unexpected

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leap, successfully winning the election for prosecuting

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attorney of Stark County, an office, as you mentioned,

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traditionally held by Democrats. Quite the upset.

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Yeah. Though he narrowly lost his re -election

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bid in 1871, he was clearly making a name for

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himself, not just as a lawyer, but as this budding

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political force. And this period really showcases

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his emerging political savvy, doesn't it? And

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a burgeoning empathy for working people while

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also forging this key alliance that would define

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his future. How so? Well, a few years later in

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1876, McKinley took on this really high profile

00:12:38.769 --> 00:12:41.889
pro bono case. He successfully defended a group

00:12:41.889 --> 00:12:44.269
of striking coal miners who'd been arrested for

00:12:44.269 --> 00:12:46.490
writing after a clash with strikebreakers. OK.

00:12:46.830 --> 00:12:49.210
He managed to secure the acquittal of all but

00:12:49.210 --> 00:12:51.389
one of the miners, a stunning legal victory.

00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:54.500
This case significantly raised his standing among

00:12:54.500 --> 00:12:56.779
laborers, a crucial part of the Stark County

00:12:56.779 --> 00:12:59.220
electorate, and showed his willingness to stand

00:12:59.220 --> 00:13:01.279
up for the common worker. Well, that makes sense.

00:13:01.700 --> 00:13:03.639
And critically, it also introduced him to Mark

00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:05.960
Hannah, a Cleveland businessman who was actually

00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:08.299
one of the mine owners involved. Despite their

00:13:08.299 --> 00:13:10.299
initial positions, Hannah would, of course, become

00:13:10.299 --> 00:13:12.960
his strongest backer, a tireless fundraiser,

00:13:13.019 --> 00:13:16.159
a political powerhouse. He saw something in McKinley,

00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:19.399
a man of principle, great potential. That case

00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.000
truly was a pivotal moment then. launching him

00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.960
onto a broader stage. With that strong standing

00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:28.159
among laborers, a growing reputation, he successfully

00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:30.679
campaigned for Ohio's 17th congressional district

00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:34.679
in 1876. He focused his campaign heavily on his

00:13:34.679 --> 00:13:37.700
unwavering support for a protective tariff that

00:13:37.700 --> 00:13:40.000
was a cornerstone of his economic philosophy,

00:13:40.460 --> 00:13:42.639
and he defeated his Democratic opponent by a

00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:46.259
solid 3 ,300 votes. Interestingly, though, this

00:13:46.259 --> 00:13:49.080
victory came at a personal cost. His congressional

00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:51.720
income was only half of what he earned as a successful

00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:54.860
lawyer. And that commitment, despite the significant

00:13:54.860 --> 00:13:58.259
financial sacrifice, it profoundly underscores

00:13:58.259 --> 00:14:00.919
his deep belief in the protective tariff as this

00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:03.690
cornerstone of American prosperity. From his

00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:06.509
very first term, McKinley was a staunch advocate.

00:14:06.769 --> 00:14:08.649
He argued tariffs weren't just for revenue, they

00:14:08.649 --> 00:14:11.169
were fundamental, allowing American manufacturing

00:14:11.169 --> 00:14:13.950
to develop and flourish, giving domestic products

00:14:13.950 --> 00:14:16.450
a crucial price advantage over foreign competitors.

00:14:16.750 --> 00:14:19.250
You had that famous quote, right? Exactly. He

00:14:19.250 --> 00:14:22.710
famously articulated this vision, stating, under

00:14:22.710 --> 00:14:25.710
free trade, the trader is the master and the

00:14:25.710 --> 00:14:29.220
producer the slave. Protection is but the law

00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:32.120
of nature, the law of self -preservation, of

00:14:32.120 --> 00:14:34.100
self -development, of securing the highest and

00:14:34.100 --> 00:14:37.320
best destiny of the race of man. Powerful words.

00:14:37.820 --> 00:14:39.740
And he added, perhaps more pragmatically for

00:14:39.740 --> 00:14:42.039
the average voter, buy where you can pay the

00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:44.200
easiest, and that spot of earth is where labor

00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:47.460
wins its highest rewards. This philosophy was

00:14:47.460 --> 00:14:50.139
deeply rooted in the tangible prosperity he saw

00:14:50.139 --> 00:14:53.440
right there in Canton, a thriving manufacturing

00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:56.399
hub that greatly benefited from these protectionist

00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:59.289
policies. That quote really encapsulates his

00:14:59.289 --> 00:15:01.970
economic vision, framing protectionism not just

00:15:01.970 --> 00:15:04.710
as policy but almost as a moral imperative for

00:15:04.710 --> 00:15:06.909
national strength and worker well -being. Absolutely.

00:15:07.070 --> 00:15:08.909
His influence grew rapidly in the House and after

00:15:08.909 --> 00:15:11.129
only two terms he got appointed to the powerful

00:15:11.129 --> 00:15:13.490
House Ways and Means Committee. That's a testament

00:15:13.490 --> 00:15:16.090
to his rising stature as legislative skill. He

00:15:16.090 --> 00:15:18.490
also showed an early willingness to deviate from

00:15:18.490 --> 00:15:22.210
strict party lines on big issues. In 1878, for

00:15:22.210 --> 00:15:24.669
instance, he voted for the Bland Allison Act,

00:15:24.889 --> 00:15:26.830
which mandated government purchases of silver

00:15:26.830 --> 00:15:29.309
for coinage. That went against President Hayes'

00:15:29.429 --> 00:15:31.690
veto, even his friend and House Republican leader

00:15:31.690 --> 00:15:34.269
James Garfield. And that decision highlights

00:15:34.269 --> 00:15:37.389
his early willingness to break with party leaders

00:15:37.389 --> 00:15:40.769
on significant economic issues, a moment of independent

00:15:40.769 --> 00:15:43.610
thought that often gets overlooked. It also kind

00:15:43.610 --> 00:15:46.450
of foreshadows that intense later national debate

00:15:46.450 --> 00:15:49.190
over gold versus silver currency, an issue that

00:15:49.190 --> 00:15:51.909
would become absolutely central to his presidential

00:15:51.909 --> 00:15:55.190
campaigns and American politics at large. It

00:15:55.190 --> 00:15:57.129
showed a pragmatism, I think, that many found

00:15:57.129 --> 00:15:59.289
appealing, even if it ruffled some feathers within

00:15:59.289 --> 00:16:02.889
his own party. Absolutely. By 1889, with Republicans

00:16:02.889 --> 00:16:05.730
back in the majority, McKinley's influence culminated

00:16:05.730 --> 00:16:07.610
in him becoming chairman of the Ways and Means

00:16:07.610 --> 00:16:10.360
Committee, a huge position. From this powerful

00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:13.159
spot, he guided the controversial McKinley Tariff

00:16:13.159 --> 00:16:16.480
of 1890 through Congress. This tariff imposed

00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.379
significant protective tariffs, though it was

00:16:19.379 --> 00:16:22.159
somewhat altered and refined by special interests

00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:24.480
in the Senate before it finally passed. And the

00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:26.620
McKinley Tariff immediately become a main theme

00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:29.620
of democratic campaigns nationwide. It was used

00:16:29.620 --> 00:16:32.159
as this powerful political weapon against him,

00:16:32.539 --> 00:16:35.379
blamed for rising consumer prices. This period

00:16:35.379 --> 00:16:38.000
also really shines a light on the, well, the

00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:40.360
bare -knuckle politics. of the era. Democrats

00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:43.379
in the Ohio legislature repeatedly tried to gerrymander

00:16:43.379 --> 00:16:46.320
him out of office, basically redrawing district

00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:49.519
lines to dilute his support and consolidate their

00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:52.139
own power. You tried that in 78 and 84. Exactly.

00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:55.440
1878 and again in 1884. Despite their efforts,

00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.620
he won both times. Hayes famously exalted, oh,

00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:00.480
the good luck of McKinley. He was gerrymandered

00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:03.299
out and then beat the gerrymander. It speaks

00:17:03.299 --> 00:17:05.220
volumes about his connection to the voters, doesn't

00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:08.329
it? That's an amazing story of political resilience,

00:17:08.769 --> 00:17:11.589
grassroots popularity. But in 1890, the Democrats

00:17:11.589 --> 00:17:15.059
tried one last time with them. particularly aggressive

00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:17.980
gerrymander. They put Stark County together with

00:17:17.980 --> 00:17:20.940
the heavily Democratic Holmes County. Ouch. Yeah.

00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:24.380
And to further twist the knife, Democratic peddlers

00:17:24.380 --> 00:17:27.200
went door to door, supposedly selling tinware,

00:17:27.420 --> 00:17:29.700
but actually blaming the McKinley tariff for

00:17:29.700 --> 00:17:32.359
increased prices by offering their wares at inflated

00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:35.799
costs. Wow. Direct disinformation. Totally. This

00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:38.160
targeted disinformation, combined with a broader

00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:40.980
national Democratic landslide that year, ultimately

00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:43.109
led to his defeat by only three hundred votes.

00:17:43.609 --> 00:17:45.750
It's a compelling anecdote, really shows the

00:17:45.750 --> 00:17:48.369
fierce political battles of the time and McKinley's

00:17:48.369 --> 00:17:50.950
tireless, though ultimately unsuccessful efforts

00:17:50.950 --> 00:17:53.309
to connect with voters against this concerted

00:17:53.309 --> 00:17:56.269
campaign. But despite this setback, his reputation

00:17:56.269 --> 00:17:58.650
remained strong and his political future was

00:17:58.650 --> 00:18:00.990
definitely far from over. Not at all. So even

00:18:00.990 --> 00:18:03.109
before he officially finished his term in Congress

00:18:03.109 --> 00:18:05.529
after that narrow deceit, William McKinley was

00:18:05.529 --> 00:18:07.829
already being widely urged to run for governor

00:18:07.829 --> 00:18:11.630
of Ohio. The next logical step. Right. He quietly

00:18:11.630 --> 00:18:14.390
but deftly arranged for his rival, Joseph B.

00:18:14.490 --> 00:18:17.730
Foraker, to nominate him at the 1891 State Republican

00:18:17.730 --> 00:18:20.710
Convention, a smart political move, showed his

00:18:20.710 --> 00:18:23.680
ability to unite different factions. He won by

00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:26.160
acclamation and then went on to secure the general

00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:29.400
election by about 20 ,000 votes, taking office

00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:32.339
in January 1892. His governorship, even though

00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:34.680
it had relatively limited power compared to some

00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:37.000
other states, especially regarding legislative

00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:40.039
vetoes, it was still a major platform in national

00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:43.799
politics. Ohio was such a key swing state. Crucial.

00:18:44.059 --> 00:18:46.299
What's particularly notable here is how he steered

00:18:46.299 --> 00:18:48.660
this moderate course between capital and labor

00:18:48.660 --> 00:18:51.440
interests. It shows that appeal to working class

00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:53.650
voters he'd called earlier in his legal career,

00:18:53.789 --> 00:18:56.430
remember? Yeah, the minor case. Exactly. He procured

00:18:56.430 --> 00:18:58.690
legislation establishing an arbitration board

00:18:58.690 --> 00:19:00.710
for work disputes, pretty progressive for the

00:19:00.710 --> 00:19:03.170
time, and even pushed through a law finding employers

00:19:03.170 --> 00:19:05.990
for firing union workers. This demonstrated his

00:19:05.990 --> 00:19:08.349
continued balancing act, his broad appeal. He

00:19:08.349 --> 00:19:10.309
wasn't just a simple pro -business politician.

00:19:10.670 --> 00:19:13.210
That's a strong record, a clear continuation

00:19:13.210 --> 00:19:16.269
of his established principles. But his second

00:19:16.269 --> 00:19:19.450
gubernatorial term brought this immense unexpected

00:19:19.450 --> 00:19:23.079
personal financial strain. The Panic of 1893

00:19:23.079 --> 00:19:26.579
hit the nation hard, plunged the economy into

00:19:26.579 --> 00:19:29.240
a deep depression. A really rough time. Yeah.

00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:32.319
And right in the middle of this, McKinley found

00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:35.480
himself called upon to repay over $100 ,000 in

00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:39.019
astronomical sum, equivalent to about $3 .5 million

00:19:39.019 --> 00:19:41.980
today. Wow. Turns out he'd guaranteed a friend's

00:19:41.980 --> 00:19:44.480
borrowings and was tragically unaware his friend

00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:46.880
had deceived him about new notes actually being

00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:49.140
renewals, making him liable for the whole amount.

00:19:49.259 --> 00:19:51.859
Oh, no. That's devastating, and this financial

00:19:51.859 --> 00:19:54.640
crisis, this truly desperate moment, paradoxically,

00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:56.640
it highlights the deep loyalty he commanded,

00:19:56.779 --> 00:19:59.160
doesn't it? And ultimately, it solidified his

00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:01.339
ties with powerful figures who would be crucial

00:20:01.339 --> 00:20:04.579
for his future. How so? Well, McKinley, utterly

00:20:04.579 --> 00:20:06.720
in despair, initially considered resigning from

00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:08.440
office to go back to being an attorney and earn

00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:10.819
the money to pay off his debts. But his wealthy

00:20:10.819 --> 00:20:13.579
supporters, including the now very influential

00:20:13.579 --> 00:20:15.960
Mark Hanna and Chicago publisher H .H. Kolset,

00:20:16.380 --> 00:20:19.160
they swiftly stepped in. They anonymously raised

00:20:19.160 --> 00:20:21.500
funds to pay off all his debts, returned all

00:20:21.500 --> 00:20:24.000
his property to him, and the public sympathy

00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:26.160
for his plight actually increased his popularity

00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:29.059
immensely. He was easily re -elected in November

00:20:29.059 --> 00:20:31.900
1893 with the largest percentage of the vote

00:20:31.900 --> 00:20:34.799
for any Ohio governor since the Civil War. It

00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:37.460
was an extraordinary act of political and financial

00:20:37.460 --> 00:20:40.650
rescue. What a dramatic, utterly pivotal rescue.

00:20:41.190 --> 00:20:43.769
So with his financial troubles behind him, McKinley,

00:20:44.089 --> 00:20:46.890
now backed by Hannah's considerable money, vast

00:20:46.890 --> 00:20:50.130
organizational skills, and just unwavering dedication,

00:20:50.690 --> 00:20:53.029
began quietly but strategically building support

00:20:53.029 --> 00:20:55.829
for a presidential bid through 1895 and early

00:20:55.829 --> 00:20:58.730
1896. Hannah's agents were incredibly effective.

00:20:58.789 --> 00:21:01.289
They worked tirelessly behind the scenes, got

00:21:01.289 --> 00:21:03.430
ahead of other contenders, secured delegates

00:21:03.430 --> 00:21:05.630
early, especially in the South and border states,

00:21:05.670 --> 00:21:08.190
which were historically tough. to organize for

00:21:08.190 --> 00:21:10.950
Republicans. Thomas Platt, a New York political

00:21:10.950 --> 00:21:14.349
boss, a rival, even famously lamented, Hannah

00:21:14.349 --> 00:21:16.430
had the South practically solid before some of

00:21:16.430 --> 00:21:19.029
us awakened. It was just a master class in political

00:21:19.029 --> 00:21:22.289
groundwork. This meticulous groundwork was absolutely

00:21:22.289 --> 00:21:26.089
crucial. McKinley, however, was resolute. He

00:21:26.089 --> 00:21:28.869
wanted the nomination without making any shady

00:21:28.869 --> 00:21:32.130
deals about patronage or offices. It was a principled

00:21:32.130 --> 00:21:34.750
stance that Hannah fully supported and respected.

00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:37.160
That's important. Yeah. And this commitment to

00:21:37.160 --> 00:21:39.660
integrity, combined with Hannah's organizational

00:21:39.660 --> 00:21:42.259
prowess, it ensured he had an ample majority

00:21:42.259 --> 00:21:44.579
of delegates by the time the Republican National

00:21:44.579 --> 00:21:48.299
Convention began in St. Louis on June 16th, 1896.

00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:50.119
And he didn't even have to be there in person

00:21:50.119 --> 00:21:53.200
for the dramatic climax. McKinley followed events

00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:55.740
by telephone from Cantona. Mention that back

00:21:55.740 --> 00:21:57.920
then. Amazing technology. Right. He famously

00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:00.000
even heard part of Four Acres nominating speech

00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:02.740
over the line. When Ohio was called in the roll

00:22:02.740 --> 00:22:05.240
call, its votes tipped the balance, gave McKinley

00:22:05.240 --> 00:22:08.039
the nomination on the very first ballot. He celebrated

00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:10.779
just by hugging his wife and mother. A quiet

00:22:10.779 --> 00:22:13.619
moment of huge triumph. Nice. For his running

00:22:13.619 --> 00:22:15.799
mate, Garrett Hobart of New Jersey, was chosen

00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:19.220
a wealthy lawyer, businessman. Hanna biographer

00:22:19.220 --> 00:22:21.700
Herbert Crawley shrewdly noted, if he did little

00:22:21.700 --> 00:22:23.480
to strengthen the ticket, he did nothing to weaken

00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:26.700
it. Kind of a safe, competent choice. It's a

00:22:26.700 --> 00:22:29.039
solid pick. So what does this all mean for his

00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:32.430
strategic genius? McKinley's evolution on the

00:22:32.430 --> 00:22:34.769
currency question, which was deeply divisive,

00:22:34.829 --> 00:22:37.329
right, was a master class in political navigation

00:22:37.329 --> 00:22:39.710
during this period of immense economic anxiety.

00:22:39.849 --> 00:22:41.609
The gold versus silver thing was huge. Exactly.

00:22:41.890 --> 00:22:44.049
Before the convention, he'd been a bit of a straddle

00:22:44.049 --> 00:22:46.589
bug on the issue, kind of favoring bimetallism

00:22:46.589 --> 00:22:49.430
backing currency with both gold and silver to

00:22:49.430 --> 00:22:51.890
inflate the money supply, but only through international

00:22:51.890 --> 00:22:55.019
agreement. But in the final days, after lots

00:22:55.019 --> 00:22:57.900
of consultations with influential politicians,

00:22:58.299 --> 00:23:01.480
businessmen, he made a decisive move. He decided

00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:03.519
the Republican platform should firmly endorse

00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:06.339
the gold standard. A gold move. Yeah. While still

00:23:06.339 --> 00:23:08.900
leaving the door open for international bimetalism.

00:23:09.539 --> 00:23:11.980
This firm stance, while it led to a walkout by

00:23:11.980 --> 00:23:14.680
some disgruntled Western delegates, it underscored

00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:16.980
Republican unity on a critical issue. And that

00:23:16.980 --> 00:23:20.200
was a stark contrast to the bitter public divisions

00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:22.220
erupting within the Democratic Party at the same

00:23:22.220 --> 00:23:24.799
time. This firm stance on the gold standard,

00:23:25.099 --> 00:23:27.380
coupled with promises of high protective tariffs,

00:23:28.059 --> 00:23:30.259
that would become central to his general election

00:23:30.259 --> 00:23:33.740
campaign, signaling this clear, pro -stability

00:23:33.740 --> 00:23:37.240
economic vision. Now onto the 1896 election.

00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:40.799
This truly was a political earthquake, profound

00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:43.980
turning point in American history. The economic

00:23:43.980 --> 00:23:46.369
backdrop, well... It couldn't have been more

00:23:46.369 --> 00:23:50.490
dire. This deep lingering depression just naturally

00:23:50.490 --> 00:23:53.829
strengthened fervent calls for free silver. Right.

00:23:54.049 --> 00:23:56.910
The policy advocated by many farmers debtors

00:23:56.910 --> 00:23:58.869
who believed it would inflate the currency ease

00:23:58.869 --> 00:24:01.890
their economic burdens. Exactly. And the Democratic

00:24:01.890 --> 00:24:04.589
Party itself was bitterly divided over this very

00:24:04.589 --> 00:24:07.359
issue. The charismatic William Jennings Bryan,

00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:09.839
representing the Silverites, took fiery control

00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:12.099
of their convention after his electrifying cross

00:24:12.099 --> 00:24:14.619
of gold speech. Ah, the famous speech. Yeah,

00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:16.579
where he famously declared Americans should not

00:24:16.579 --> 00:24:19.119
be crucified on a cross of gold, passionately

00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:21.279
arguing for the free coinage of silver to help

00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:23.890
farmers and debtors. And that set the stage for

00:24:23.890 --> 00:24:26.849
one of the most unique and strategically brilliant

00:24:26.849 --> 00:24:30.009
campaigns in American history. McKinley decided

00:24:30.009 --> 00:24:33.230
to break tradition, stay home in Canton for what

00:24:33.230 --> 00:24:35.710
became known as the Front Porch Campaign. Why

00:24:35.710 --> 00:24:38.150
did you do that? He believed Brian was just a

00:24:38.150 --> 00:24:40.950
far better orator, a genuine political rock star

00:24:40.950 --> 00:24:43.869
of his time. He famously said, I might just as

00:24:43.869 --> 00:24:46.190
well set up a trapeze on my front lawn and compete

00:24:46.190 --> 00:24:48.269
with some professional athlete as go out speaking

00:24:48.269 --> 00:24:50.930
against Brian. I have to think when I speak.

00:24:51.250 --> 00:24:54.980
Huh. That's quite self -aware. It was. And a

00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:57.559
genius strategy for the time. It was a way to

00:24:57.559 --> 00:25:00.019
connect directly with a mass electorate without

00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:03.500
the risks of extemporaneous speaking and avoiding

00:25:03.500 --> 00:25:06.000
the grueling physical toll of constant travel.

00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:08.559
It truly was an innovative and highly effective

00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:11.430
approach. Daily. Delegations from all over the

00:25:11.430 --> 00:25:13.589
country, farmers, veterans, factory workers,

00:25:13.950 --> 00:25:16.109
they'd arrive by special trains, often subsidized

00:25:16.109 --> 00:25:18.170
with low excursion rates. They'd march right

00:25:18.170 --> 00:25:20.490
to McKinley's front porch in Kent. There, he

00:25:20.490 --> 00:25:22.450
would deliver these carefully scripted speeches,

00:25:23.029 --> 00:25:25.410
meticulously tailored to the delegation's specific

00:25:25.410 --> 00:25:28.369
interests, their concerns. Even the spokesman's

00:25:28.369 --> 00:25:30.130
remarks for the delegations were pre -approved

00:25:30.130 --> 00:25:32.950
by his campaign to avoid any embarrassing missteps

00:25:32.950 --> 00:25:35.950
or offhand comments. It was controlled, yes,

00:25:36.230 --> 00:25:39.900
but also profoundly personal in a way. In contrast

00:25:39.900 --> 00:25:42.740
to McKinley's static yet powerful front porch,

00:25:43.299 --> 00:25:45.720
Brian embarked on this unprecedented whirlwind

00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:48.559
whistle -stop political tour by train. thousands

00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:51.400
of miles, hundreds of speeches, relying on his

00:25:51.400 --> 00:25:54.380
unparalleled eloquence and youthful energy, directly

00:25:54.380 --> 00:25:56.859
addressing vast crowds. Meanwhile, Mark Hanna,

00:25:57.079 --> 00:25:59.140
the genius behind the Kidley's campaign. Right.

00:25:59.140 --> 00:26:01.539
Hanna was a fundraising marvel. He secured an

00:26:01.539 --> 00:26:03.440
astonishing three point five million dollars

00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:06.180
from anxious bankers and industrialists who deeply

00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:08.700
feared Brian's inflationary free silver program.

00:26:09.079 --> 00:26:11.480
This immense sum funded an army of speakers,

00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:14.240
countless local Republican clubs and the production

00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:16.619
of over 200 million pamphlets advocating the

00:26:16.619 --> 00:26:18.859
Republican position. on sound money and protective

00:26:18.859 --> 00:26:21.619
tariffs. 200 million pamphlets. Incredible, isn't

00:26:21.619 --> 00:26:24.680
it? Brian's campaign, by comparison, had maybe

00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:28.039
$500 ,000 at most, a truly staggering disparity.

00:26:28.460 --> 00:26:31.460
The propaganda from both sides was fierce, but

00:26:31.460 --> 00:26:35.619
Hannah's machine was relentless. Homer Davenport's

00:26:35.619 --> 00:26:38.539
vicious cartoons, published prominently in William

00:26:38.539 --> 00:26:41.039
Randolph Hearst's New York Journal, they were

00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:43.809
particularly memorable. They portrayed Hannah

00:26:43.809 --> 00:26:46.910
as this ruthless plutocrat trampling on labor,

00:26:47.549 --> 00:26:50.180
and McKinley as his easily controlled creature

00:26:50.180 --> 00:26:52.539
or puppet. Yeah. And it's fascinating how those

00:26:52.539 --> 00:26:55.180
powerful, unflattering depictions, though often

00:26:55.180 --> 00:26:58.319
just caricatures, they still kind of color perceptions

00:26:58.319 --> 00:27:00.859
of Hannah and McKinley today, right? Even though

00:27:00.859 --> 00:27:03.279
our sources indicate a much more complex, mutually

00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:06.059
respectful relationship. Absolutely. What's also

00:27:06.059 --> 00:27:08.319
remarkable and maybe often overlooked in today's

00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:10.859
soundbite culture is the sheer level of voter

00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:12.880
engagement during this period. This wasn't just

00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:15.240
about catchy slogans or brief speeches. It was

00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:17.400
a deeply intellectual campaign for the average

00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:20.000
voter. People obviously read the pamphlets. They

00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:23.180
did. People widely studied and debated the millions

00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:25.940
of pamphlets distributed seeking economic and

00:27:25.940 --> 00:27:28.759
political truth. These meticulously prepared

00:27:28.759 --> 00:27:31.319
pamphlets were devoured by the public becoming

00:27:31.319 --> 00:27:34.259
essential guides to economic thought and political

00:27:34.259 --> 00:27:37.680
action. It reflects a highly informed and engaged

00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:40.180
electorate which is quite something. Initially,

00:27:40.420 --> 00:27:42.440
McKinley's campaign expected monetary issues

00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:45.400
to fade as the primary concern, but silver and

00:27:45.400 --> 00:27:48.420
gold dominated the campaign's early stages. However,

00:27:48.619 --> 00:27:50.500
as public support for free silver eventually

00:27:50.500 --> 00:27:52.920
receded, partly due to returning prosperity,

00:27:53.460 --> 00:27:55.420
Republicans shrewdly pivoted back to their other

00:27:55.420 --> 00:27:58.240
core issue, emphasizing the protective tariff

00:27:58.240 --> 00:28:00.720
as the key to economic recovery and stability.

00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:04.099
Smart move. and the results decisive mckinley

00:28:04.099 --> 00:28:06.599
won the entire northeast and midwest secured

00:28:06.599 --> 00:28:09.359
51 of the popular vote and a large electoral

00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:12.140
college majority brian having focused almost

00:28:12.140 --> 00:28:14.579
exclusively on silver critically failed to appeal

00:28:14.579 --> 00:28:17.319
to urban workers denver colorado was the only

00:28:17.319 --> 00:28:19.619
city outside the south with more than 100 000

00:28:19.619 --> 00:28:22.259
people that he carried This election truly marked

00:28:22.259 --> 00:28:25.480
a seismic shift in American politics. It reshaped

00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:28.279
the electoral map for generations. Historians

00:28:28.279 --> 00:28:31.680
universally regard 1896 as a realigning election,

00:28:31.779 --> 00:28:34.460
meaning a fundamental lasting shift in voter

00:28:34.460 --> 00:28:37.420
allegiances and party platforms, leading to a

00:28:37.420 --> 00:28:39.799
long period of dominance for one party. The fourth

00:28:39.799 --> 00:28:42.599
party system. Exactly. It established Republican

00:28:42.599 --> 00:28:44.700
dominance in what became known as the fourth

00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:47.880
party system, which lasted right up until 1932.

00:28:48.500 --> 00:28:51.839
McKinley's pro -business and goal -standard protective

00:28:51.839 --> 00:28:55.599
tariff vision triumphed definitively. It effectively

00:28:55.599 --> 00:28:58.059
ended the post -Civil War political stalemate

00:28:58.059 --> 00:29:00.440
and laid the economic and political foundation

00:29:00.440 --> 00:29:04.190
for America's rise as a global power. So, with

00:29:04.190 --> 00:29:06.609
this decisive victory, this mandate for his policies,

00:29:07.190 --> 00:29:09.269
William McKinley was sworn in as president on

00:29:09.269 --> 00:29:12.950
March 4, 1897. His inaugural address carefully

00:29:12.950 --> 00:29:15.650
emphasized terror reform and, with a nod to the

00:29:15.650 --> 00:29:17.950
recent campaign, stated that the currency issue

00:29:17.950 --> 00:29:20.069
would follow. Importantly, he also cautiously

00:29:20.069 --> 00:29:21.769
warned against foreign interventions. He said,

00:29:21.869 --> 00:29:23.990
we want no wars of conquest. We must avoid the

00:29:23.990 --> 00:29:25.890
temptation of territorial aggression. A statement

00:29:25.890 --> 00:29:29.200
that In retrospect, takes on a fascinating irony

00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:31.200
given what was just around the corner, doesn't

00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:34.339
it? It really does. And that irony is profound.

00:29:34.859 --> 00:29:36.900
Some of his early cabinet appointments were quite

00:29:36.900 --> 00:29:39.440
controversial, reflecting the sort of political

00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:42.339
maneuvering and debt repayment of the era. His

00:29:42.339 --> 00:29:44.619
choice for Secretary of State John Sherman was

00:29:44.619 --> 00:29:48.079
an experienced statesman, but at 73, his abilities

00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:51.640
were rapidly declining due to old age. McKinley

00:29:51.640 --> 00:29:54.319
moved Sherman into that role primarily to create

00:29:54.319 --> 00:29:57.019
a Senate vacancy. allowing Mark Hanna to be appointed

00:29:57.019 --> 00:30:00.220
to the Senate. It was a classic political calculation

00:30:00.220 --> 00:30:03.099
to secure his keybacker a powerful seat, though

00:30:03.099 --> 00:30:05.160
it certainly raised some eyebrows. Yeah, that

00:30:05.160 --> 00:30:07.579
caused some talk. Another perhaps ill -advised

00:30:07.579 --> 00:30:09.839
appointment was Russell A. Alger as Secretary

00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:13.000
of War. While competent in peacetime, he unfortunately

00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:15.400
proved inadequate once the Spanish -American

00:30:15.400 --> 00:30:17.759
War dramatically erupted. And then there's the

00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:20.299
story of Theodore Roosevelt, who had become such

00:30:20.299 --> 00:30:23.089
a central figure himself. McKinley was initially

00:30:23.089 --> 00:30:25.549
quite reluctant to appoint him as Assistant Secretary

00:30:25.549 --> 00:30:28.869
of the Navy. He famously told one booster, I

00:30:28.869 --> 00:30:31.710
want peace, and I am told that your friend Theodore

00:30:31.710 --> 00:30:34.730
is always getting into rows with everybody. Huh.

00:30:35.430 --> 00:30:37.390
Talk about a moment of presidential foresight,

00:30:37.809 --> 00:30:39.950
considering Roosevelt's later big stick diplomacy.

00:30:40.589 --> 00:30:42.509
But he made the appointment anyway. Right. Vice

00:30:42.509 --> 00:30:44.569
President Garrett Hobart, though he didn't attend

00:30:44.569 --> 00:30:47.869
cabinet meetings, proved to be a valuable, informal

00:30:47.869 --> 00:30:51.140
advisor and a close friend. His family frequently

00:30:51.140 --> 00:30:53.519
visited the McKinley's, offered much -needed

00:30:53.519 --> 00:30:56.460
personal support, and McKinley's personal secretary,

00:30:56.819 --> 00:30:58.940
George B. Corteau, became this indispensable

00:30:58.940 --> 00:31:01.359
combination of press secretary and chief of staff

00:31:01.359 --> 00:31:04.440
renowned for his efficiency. Economically, McKinley

00:31:04.440 --> 00:31:06.799
moved quickly to deliver on his campaign promises,

00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:09.500
solidifying that protectionist and sound money

00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:12.059
framework he championed. Less than five months

00:31:12.059 --> 00:31:14.519
into his presidency, he signed the Dingley Tariff

00:31:14.519 --> 00:31:17.559
of 1897. It significantly raised tariff rates

00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:20.339
on wool, sugar, luxury goods, continuing his

00:31:20.339 --> 00:31:22.240
vision for American industry. And the currency

00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:25.259
issue. Internationally, efforts for bimetallism,

00:31:25.559 --> 00:31:28.240
like talks with Britain to reopen mints in India

00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:31.339
to silver coinage, they ultimately failed. There

00:31:31.339 --> 00:31:33.500
was strong opposition from the Indian administration,

00:31:33.740 --> 00:31:36.220
British officials. With that, McKinley firmly

00:31:36.220 --> 00:31:38.500
embraced the gold standard as the path forward.

00:31:38.839 --> 00:31:41.920
So, as prosperity gradually returned to the U

00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:44.599
.S., and critically, these new gold discoveries

00:31:44.599 --> 00:31:47.200
in the Yukon and Australia increased the global

00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:49.599
monetary supply. Right. That eased the pressure.

00:31:49.900 --> 00:31:52.559
The intense political agitation for free silver

00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:55.940
began to ease. McKinley then urged Congress to

00:31:55.940 --> 00:31:58.900
pass the Gold Standard Act of 1900. He famously

00:31:58.900 --> 00:32:02.599
signed it into law on March 14, 1900, using a

00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:05.609
symbolic gold pen. There you have it. McKinley

00:32:05.609 --> 00:32:08.130
really delivering on his core campaign promises,

00:32:08.730 --> 00:32:11.150
definitively solidifying the economic framework

00:32:11.150 --> 00:32:12.970
of the gold standard that would underpin the

00:32:12.970 --> 00:32:14.890
American economy for the progressive era and

00:32:14.890 --> 00:32:17.329
beyond. However, when we examine McKinley's record

00:32:17.329 --> 00:32:19.910
on civil rights, it presents a far more complex

00:32:19.910 --> 00:32:21.869
and for many a deeply disappointing picture,

00:32:21.910 --> 00:32:25.059
doesn't it? It really does. Black Americans initially

00:32:25.059 --> 00:32:27.839
held high hopes for progress under his administration,

00:32:27.839 --> 00:32:30.220
you know, given his past public stance against

00:32:30.220 --> 00:32:32.019
lynching as governor and their crucial support

00:32:32.019 --> 00:32:35.480
for him in 1896. Right. Yet McKinley's overarching

00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:38.779
priority was largely ending sectionalism, healing

00:32:38.779 --> 00:32:42.420
that North -South divide, which tragically often

00:32:42.420 --> 00:32:44.859
came at the expense of addressing racial injustice.

00:32:45.220 --> 00:32:47.660
He made very few high level appointments for

00:32:47.660 --> 00:32:50.900
black individuals, signaling a retreat from Reconstruction

00:32:50.900 --> 00:32:53.940
era efforts. And more disturbingly. More disturbingly,

00:32:54.079 --> 00:32:57.079
he issued no public condemnation when black postmasters,

00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:59.720
who were federal officials, were violently assaulted

00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:03.099
in Hogan'sville, Georgia in 1897 or in Lake City,

00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:06.180
South Carolina in 1898. These weren't isolated

00:33:06.180 --> 00:33:08.019
incidents. They were part of a broader pattern

00:33:08.019 --> 00:33:10.380
of racial intimidation. And during the horrific

00:33:10.380 --> 00:33:13.059
Wilmington insurrection of 1898 in North Carolina,

00:33:13.599 --> 00:33:15.380
where white supremacists violently overthrew

00:33:15.380 --> 00:33:17.779
the legitimately elected biracial fusion government.

00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:20.460
McKinley's administration again refused to intervene.

00:33:20.519 --> 00:33:24.000
They just stood by. Pretty much. Black leaders

00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:26.940
explicitly requested federal marshals or troops

00:33:26.940 --> 00:33:29.680
to protect black citizens from the mobs and restore

00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:32.920
order, but McKinley denied these appeals. He

00:33:32.920 --> 00:33:35.359
ignored desperate pleas for help to recover from

00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:37.279
the widespread destruction of the predominantly

00:33:37.279 --> 00:33:40.119
black neighborhood of Brooklyn. This inaction

00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:42.880
sent a chilling message, effectively validating

00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:45.140
Jim Crow violence and white supremacist power

00:33:45.140 --> 00:33:47.920
in the South. This raises a profoundly important

00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:50.059
and challenging question for historians, doesn't

00:33:50.059 --> 00:33:52.500
it? While admired for his economic policies,

00:33:52.680 --> 00:33:55.180
wartime leadership, McKinley's record on civil

00:33:55.180 --> 00:33:57.579
rights shows this missed opportunity to transcend

00:33:57.579 --> 00:34:00.200
the deeply entrenched racial biases of his day.

00:34:00.240 --> 00:34:02.799
It caused immense lasting disappointment among

00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:05.220
black leaders and citizens. His subsequent tour

00:34:05.220 --> 00:34:08.239
of the South intended to promote national reconciliation.

00:34:08.670 --> 00:34:11.630
further alienated many Black Americans. While

00:34:11.630 --> 00:34:14.369
he visited the Tuskegee Institute, a symbol of

00:34:14.369 --> 00:34:17.210
Black progress, he also visited numerous Confederate

00:34:17.210 --> 00:34:20.849
memorials, a gesture seen by many as prioritizing

00:34:20.849 --> 00:34:23.130
White Southern sentiment over Black civil rights.

00:34:23.889 --> 00:34:26.489
As historian Clarence A. Bacote noted, despite

00:34:26.489 --> 00:34:28.969
some initial hope, Black people ultimately felt

00:34:28.969 --> 00:34:31.849
largely disappointed by his inaction. It's a

00:34:31.849 --> 00:34:34.719
significant stain on his legacy. Moving now to

00:34:34.719 --> 00:34:37.139
foreign policy, this is where McKinley's presidency

00:34:37.139 --> 00:34:39.760
truly marked an undeniable, pivotal shift for

00:34:39.760 --> 00:34:42.480
the United States, irrevocably launching it onto

00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:45.800
the global stage as this burgeoning power. The

00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:48.820
Cuban crisis, with decades of brutal Cuban rebellion

00:34:48.820 --> 00:34:51.639
against Spanish colonial rule and growing American

00:34:51.639 --> 00:34:54.099
public outrage over horrific Spanish reprisals,

00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:56.320
was a brewing storm he just couldn't ignore.

00:34:56.960 --> 00:34:59.239
McKinley initially favored peaceful negotiation

00:34:59.239 --> 00:35:01.480
for Cuban independence, or at the very least,

00:35:01.880 --> 00:35:03.980
substantial autonomy. He genuinely pursued a

00:35:03.980 --> 00:35:07.139
path of arbitrationism, seeking peaceful resolution

00:35:07.139 --> 00:35:09.699
through third party intervention and humanitarianism,

00:35:10.099 --> 00:35:13.280
driven by concern for the Cuban people. Spain

00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:15.559
did make some significant concessions in January

00:35:15.559 --> 00:35:19.000
1898, but renewed riots in Havana prompted McKinley

00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:22.800
to deploy the USS Maine to protect American interests

00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:25.369
and citizens. And then the explosion. Then on

00:35:25.369 --> 00:35:29.070
February 15th, 1898, the main tragically exploded

00:35:29.070 --> 00:35:32.710
and sank in Havana Harbor, killing 266 American

00:35:32.710 --> 00:35:35.769
sailors. While an official inquiry ruled it was

00:35:35.769 --> 00:35:38.150
blown up by an underwater mine, though historians

00:35:38.150 --> 00:35:40.730
still debate the precise cause public opinion

00:35:40.730 --> 00:35:43.349
in the U .S. was inflamed, demanding retribution,

00:35:43.670 --> 00:35:45.849
seeing Spain as having lost all control. Huge

00:35:45.849 --> 00:35:48.269
pressure for war. Immense public and congressional

00:35:48.269 --> 00:35:50.710
pressure. Yet McKinley continued to negotiate

00:35:50.710 --> 00:35:53.530
even offering to buy Cuba. But when Spain refused

00:35:53.530 --> 00:35:56.179
his final proposals for Cuban independence, he

00:35:56.179 --> 00:35:58.039
reluctantly turned the matter over to Congress.

00:35:58.219 --> 00:36:01.719
Congress declared war on April 20, 1898, famously

00:36:01.719 --> 00:36:04.019
including the Teller Amendment, which disavowed

00:36:04.019 --> 00:36:06.960
any American intention to annex Cuba. Some historians

00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:09.800
meticulously argue McKinley's actions were driven

00:36:09.800 --> 00:36:12.619
more by a genuine commitment to arbitration and

00:36:12.619 --> 00:36:15.420
humanitarianism, rather than simply succumbing

00:36:15.420 --> 00:36:18.739
to jingoistic external pressure. It showcases

00:36:18.739 --> 00:36:21.460
his complex, often reluctant decision -making

00:36:21.460 --> 00:36:25.050
process. The Spanish -American War, famously

00:36:25.050 --> 00:36:27.610
described by John Hay as a splendid little war,

00:36:28.150 --> 00:36:30.090
proved to be a swift and remarkably decisive

00:36:30.090 --> 00:36:33.570
victory for the U .S. It significantly dramatically

00:36:33.570 --> 00:36:37.150
expanded its global reach. McKinley exercised

00:36:37.150 --> 00:36:39.570
an unprecedented level of control over military

00:36:39.570 --> 00:36:41.809
and naval movements. Thanks to new technologies

00:36:41.809 --> 00:36:44.309
like the telegraph and telephone, he could direct

00:36:44.309 --> 00:36:46.769
strategy right from the White House. Amazing.

00:36:47.010 --> 00:36:49.090
Commodore George Dewey's swift overwhelming victory

00:36:49.090 --> 00:36:50.929
at the Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines,

00:36:51.469 --> 00:36:54.010
just days after the war began, immediately expanded

00:36:54.010 --> 00:36:56.750
the war's scope far beyond the Caribbean. McKinley

00:36:56.750 --> 00:36:59.030
quickly grasped the strategic implications and

00:36:59.030 --> 00:37:01.230
decisively decided that Spain would be required

00:37:01.230 --> 00:37:04.159
to surrender the entire archipelago. Wow, a big

00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:07.219
decision. On the Caribbean front, Major General

00:37:07.219 --> 00:37:09.900
William Rufus Schafter's forces invaded Cuba,

00:37:10.460 --> 00:37:12.579
leading to key engagements like the famous Battle

00:37:12.579 --> 00:37:14.900
of San Juan Hill and the subsequent destruction

00:37:14.900 --> 00:37:18.639
of Spain's Caribbean squadron. Santiago quickly

00:37:18.639 --> 00:37:21.559
surrendered, effectively placing Cuba under American

00:37:21.559 --> 00:37:24.579
control. Simultaneously, the invasion of Puerto

00:37:24.579 --> 00:37:26.840
Rico met with little resistance. And this rapid

00:37:26.840 --> 00:37:28.760
deployment highlighted a problem, didn't it?

00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:32.179
It did. This rapid deployment and success highlighted

00:37:32.179 --> 00:37:34.420
a critical logistical challenge for the growing

00:37:34.420 --> 00:37:37.000
American Navy. the difficulty of maintaining

00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:40.079
a two -ocean presence. This, in turn, made a

00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:42.219
canal across Central America more essential than

00:37:42.219 --> 00:37:44.940
ever, directly setting the stage for the construction

00:37:44.940 --> 00:37:47.000
of the Panama Canal under Theodore Roosevelt,

00:37:47.480 --> 00:37:49.800
a project born directly from the strategic lessons

00:37:49.800 --> 00:37:52.880
of McKinley's War. So the Treaty of Paris, signed

00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:56.019
in December 1898, formally solidified the peace

00:37:56.019 --> 00:37:58.780
and redrew the global map. Spain relinquished

00:37:58.780 --> 00:38:01.760
all claims to Cuba and critically ceded Puerto

00:38:01.760 --> 00:38:04.199
Rico, Grom, and the Philippines to the U .S.

00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:07.460
for a payment of $20 million. Right. McKinley

00:38:07.460 --> 00:38:10.059
and Vice President Hobart lobbied tirelessly,

00:38:10.340 --> 00:38:12.880
ultimately successfully, for Senate approval,

00:38:13.179 --> 00:38:16.900
which passed by a narrow margin. This monumental

00:38:16.900 --> 00:38:19.900
acquisition marked a profound and controversial

00:38:19.900 --> 00:38:22.659
expansion of American territory and influence,

00:38:23.099 --> 00:38:25.500
often seen by historians as the definitive beginning

00:38:25.500 --> 00:38:28.079
of an American empire. This expansion indeed

00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:31.360
raises an incredibly important, enduring question

00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:34.119
for American identity and foreign policy, doesn't

00:38:34.119 --> 00:38:35.960
it? What were the long -term implications of

00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:39.179
these annexations? Immediately, a fierce pro

00:38:39.179 --> 00:38:41.380
-independence rebellion erupted in the Philippines,

00:38:41.780 --> 00:38:44.920
leading to a brutal, costly war that the U .S.

00:38:45.039 --> 00:38:47.679
eventually suppressed. This sparked a heated

00:38:47.679 --> 00:38:50.000
anti -imperialist movement right here at home,

00:38:50.199 --> 00:38:52.480
questioning the moral, the democratic implications

00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:54.699
of ruling distant peoples without their consent.

00:38:55.420 --> 00:38:57.920
Beyond Philippines, these annexations irrevocably

00:38:57.920 --> 00:39:00.320
cemented America's position as a global power.

00:39:00.760 --> 00:39:03.039
It forced the U .S. to develop new administrative

00:39:03.039 --> 00:39:05.159
structures for governing overseas territories

00:39:05.159 --> 00:39:07.809
and directly influenced its subsequent engagement

00:39:07.809 --> 00:39:10.190
in Asia and Latin America. And alongside these

00:39:10.190 --> 00:39:13.250
dramatic gains, McKinley also pursued the annexation

00:39:13.250 --> 00:39:15.869
of the Independent Republic of Hawaii in 1898.

00:39:16.510 --> 00:39:19.349
He lobbied Congress intensely, warning of potential

00:39:19.349 --> 00:39:22.010
royalist counterrevolution or even a Japanese

00:39:22.010 --> 00:39:24.730
takeover. Right. And this was achieved via a

00:39:24.730 --> 00:39:27.769
joint resolution at the Newlands Resolution rather

00:39:27.769 --> 00:39:30.829
than a treaty, shrewdly bypassing the two -thirds

00:39:30.829 --> 00:39:34.210
Senate vote required for a treaty. McKinley reportedly

00:39:34.210 --> 00:39:37.849
told his secretary, Corteau, we need Hawaii just

00:39:37.849 --> 00:39:40.190
as much and a good deal more than we did California.

00:39:40.690 --> 00:39:43.949
It is manifest destiny, invoking that powerful

00:39:43.949 --> 00:39:47.489
expansionist American ideology. Wow. His administration

00:39:47.489 --> 00:39:50.170
also acquired American Samoa through the Tripartite

00:39:50.170 --> 00:39:52.789
Convention, partitioning the Samoan islands with

00:39:52.789 --> 00:39:55.110
the UK and German empire during a period known

00:39:55.110 --> 00:39:57.230
as the Great Rapprochement with Britain. And

00:39:57.230 --> 00:39:59.650
his global influence didn't stop with just grabbing

00:39:59.650 --> 00:40:02.329
territory, did it? Not at all. McKinley also

00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:05.219
championed an open -door policy of free trade

00:40:05.219 --> 00:40:08.039
and territorial integrity for China. He sought

00:40:08.039 --> 00:40:10.480
to prevent its partition by European powers and

00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:12.619
secure American commercial interests there. And

00:40:12.619 --> 00:40:15.139
the Boxer Rebellion. During the brutal Boxer

00:40:15.139 --> 00:40:17.780
Rebellion in 1900, when foreign legations in

00:40:17.780 --> 00:40:20.000
Peking were besieged, their occupants threatened,

00:40:20.340 --> 00:40:23.980
he took decisive action. McKinley ordered 5 ,000

00:40:23.980 --> 00:40:26.619
U .S. troops the China Relief Expedition to join

00:40:26.619 --> 00:40:28.679
an international force and relieve the siege.

00:40:28.960 --> 00:40:32.000
This intervention set a crucial precedent for

00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:35.159
future presidential military action without explicit

00:40:35.159 --> 00:40:38.380
legislative consultation, significantly expanding

00:40:38.380 --> 00:40:41.860
executive power in foreign affairs. It's undeniably

00:40:41.860 --> 00:40:44.219
clear that under William McKinley, the US was

00:40:44.219 --> 00:40:46.579
truly stepping onto the world stage, not just

00:40:46.579 --> 00:40:49.239
as a player, but as an assertive, increasingly

00:40:49.239 --> 00:40:52.059
dominant force. McKinley's immense popularity.

00:40:52.219 --> 00:40:54.579
coupled with the nation's return prosperity and

00:40:54.579 --> 00:40:56.619
the triumphant conclusion of the Spanish -American

00:40:56.619 --> 00:40:59.519
War, virtually assured his renomination for the

00:40:59.519 --> 00:41:02.599
1900 election. The main question swirling around

00:41:02.599 --> 00:41:04.619
the Republican convention wasn't if McKinley

00:41:04.619 --> 00:41:06.679
would run, but rather who would be his running

00:41:06.679 --> 00:41:09.340
mate. Vice President Hobart had tragically died

00:41:09.340 --> 00:41:12.039
in late 1899. Right. So they needed a new VP.

00:41:12.420 --> 00:41:14.340
McKinley considered several prominent figures,

00:41:14.500 --> 00:41:16.900
including his capable secretary of war, Elihu

00:41:16.900 --> 00:41:19.300
Root. But the undeniable most popular choice

00:41:19.300 --> 00:41:23.239
was. Theodore Roosevelt, of course. As the reformist

00:41:23.239 --> 00:41:25.840
governor of New York, a celebrated war hero from

00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:29.000
Cuba with his rough writers, Roosevelt was this

00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:31.760
rising political star with immense public appeal.

00:41:32.519 --> 00:41:35.579
But not everyone was thrilled. No. Despite Mark

00:41:35.579 --> 00:41:37.880
Hanna's strong opposition, he considered Roosevelt

00:41:38.110 --> 00:41:41.449
overly impulsive, a potential threat to the party's

00:41:41.449 --> 00:41:43.409
conservative wing, and New York political boss

00:41:43.409 --> 00:41:45.809
Thomas C. Platt's efforts to sideline Roosevelt

00:41:45.809 --> 00:41:48.510
by pushing him into the seemingly ceremonial

00:41:48.510 --> 00:41:52.070
VP role, the convention delegates coalesced overwhelmingly

00:41:52.070 --> 00:41:54.619
around Roosevelt. So the people chose TR. Pretty

00:41:54.619 --> 00:41:57.820
much. McKinley was unanimously renominated, a

00:41:57.820 --> 00:41:59.880
testament to his strength, and Roosevelt was

00:41:59.880 --> 00:42:01.920
nominated for vice president on the first ballot,

00:42:02.219 --> 00:42:04.679
even with Hannah's very reluctant acquiescence.

00:42:05.280 --> 00:42:08.139
It was a fascinating display of grassroots power

00:42:08.139 --> 00:42:10.739
overriding the party bosses. The 1900 election

00:42:10.739 --> 00:42:13.880
saw a familiar contest, a rematch against William

00:42:13.880 --> 00:42:16.860
Jennings Bryan. But the campaign issues had shifted

00:42:16.860 --> 00:42:19.800
significantly, hadn't they? They had. Republicans

00:42:19.800 --> 00:42:22.340
focused relentlessly on the recent wartime victory,

00:42:22.619 --> 00:42:24.719
which had secured America's global standing and

00:42:24.719 --> 00:42:27.980
the undeniable domestic prosperity that McKinley's

00:42:27.980 --> 00:42:30.059
gold standard and tariff policies had brought.

00:42:30.269 --> 00:42:33.530
Their slogan, four more years of a full dinner

00:42:33.530 --> 00:42:37.090
pail, really resonated. Democrats, on the other

00:42:37.090 --> 00:42:40.309
hand, attacked the growing power of trusts, these

00:42:40.309 --> 00:42:42.429
large corporations and monopolies and corporate

00:42:42.429 --> 00:42:45.210
power, portraying McKinley as a servant of big

00:42:45.210 --> 00:42:48.070
business interests and the campaign styles. As

00:42:48.070 --> 00:42:51.849
in 96, Brian embarked on another exhausting nationwide

00:42:51.849 --> 00:42:54.269
whistle stop tour, crisscrossing the country,

00:42:54.389 --> 00:42:57.409
delivering his impassioned speeches. McKinley,

00:42:57.489 --> 00:43:00.139
by contrast, largely stayed home. maintaining

00:43:00.139 --> 00:43:02.800
his front porch style, making only one speech

00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:05.699
to formally accept his nomination. Theodore Roosevelt,

00:43:05.760 --> 00:43:07.920
however, became the primary Republican speaker,

00:43:08.380 --> 00:43:10.280
campaigning tirelessly across the country with

00:43:10.280 --> 00:43:12.960
his characteristic vigor and charisma. Could

00:43:12.960 --> 00:43:15.780
Brian's approach work this time? Brian's campaigning

00:43:15.780 --> 00:43:18.619
this time around, though energetic, it just failed

00:43:18.619 --> 00:43:21.500
to ignite the same fervor. the same widespread

00:43:21.500 --> 00:43:25.380
public enthusiasm it had garnered in 1896. The

00:43:25.380 --> 00:43:28.340
nation was feeling prosperous, victorious, and

00:43:28.340 --> 00:43:31.119
the appeal of his free silver platform had really

00:43:31.119 --> 00:43:34.059
waned. So McKimley was confident. Well -founded

00:43:34.059 --> 00:43:38.139
confidence. On November 6, 1900, he won a truly

00:43:38.139 --> 00:43:40.980
landslide victory, the largest for any Republican

00:43:40.980 --> 00:43:44.659
since 1872. He even made inroads into Bryan's

00:43:44.659 --> 00:43:47.199
traditional strongholds, carried Bryan's home

00:43:47.199 --> 00:43:50.530
state of Nebraska. This resounding victory solidified

00:43:50.530 --> 00:43:53.429
the Republican Party's dominance, affirmed McKinley's

00:43:53.429 --> 00:43:55.809
own political strength, and firmly established

00:43:55.809 --> 00:43:58.030
that fourth party system that would define American

00:43:58.030 --> 00:44:00.590
politics for the next three decades. Tragically,

00:44:00.750 --> 00:44:03.130
this strong second term, which promised so much,

00:44:03.449 --> 00:44:06.070
was cut short by an act of just senseless violence.

00:44:06.730 --> 00:44:09.889
Soon after his inauguration in March 1901, William

00:44:09.889 --> 00:44:12.250
and Ida McKinley embarked on a planned six -week

00:44:12.250 --> 00:44:14.530
national tour. It was a celebratory journey,

00:44:14.789 --> 00:44:17.269
included plans to visit the Pan -American Exposition

00:44:17.269 --> 00:44:19.500
in Boston. Buffalo, New York. Right, but Ida's

00:44:19.500 --> 00:44:21.719
recurring health issues, her fragile condition,

00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:23.920
forced a postponement of the Buffalo visit until

00:44:23.920 --> 00:44:26.519
September. And security was a concern. It was.

00:44:26.880 --> 00:44:29.699
Personal Secretary George B. Cortevue, keenly

00:44:29.699 --> 00:44:32.219
aware of the rising tide of anarchism and recent

00:44:32.219 --> 00:44:34.820
assassinations of leaders in Europe, was deeply

00:44:34.820 --> 00:44:37.400
concerned about McKinley's security. He tried

00:44:37.400 --> 00:44:39.639
twice to remove a large public reception from

00:44:39.639 --> 00:44:42.159
the itinerary at the exposition, sensing the

00:44:42.159 --> 00:44:44.820
danger of a crowded, open event. But McKinley

00:44:44.820 --> 00:44:48.139
refused. He did. McKinley genuinely enjoyed meeting

00:44:48.139 --> 00:44:50.960
the public, felt it was his duty. He refused

00:44:50.960 --> 00:44:53.019
to back down, believing that direct connection

00:44:53.019 --> 00:44:55.500
with the people was paramount. So on September

00:44:55.500 --> 00:44:58.460
6, 1901, at the Temple of Music on the Exposition

00:44:58.460 --> 00:45:01.280
Grounds, as McKinley greeted the public, Leon

00:45:01.280 --> 00:45:03.760
Chalgos, an anarchist who believed the president

00:45:03.760 --> 00:45:05.900
was an oppressor, approached him in the receiving

00:45:05.900 --> 00:45:08.619
line and shot McKinley twice in the abdomen at

00:45:08.619 --> 00:45:12.000
close range. Just awful. And in the immediate,

00:45:12.219 --> 00:45:14.800
chaotic aftermath, even as he lay wounded, McKinley

00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:17.519
displayed this extraordinary compassion. He urged

00:45:17.519 --> 00:45:19.840
his aides to break the devastating news gently

00:45:19.840 --> 00:45:22.780
to Ida, who is known for her frail health. And

00:45:22.780 --> 00:45:24.519
remarkably, he told them to call off the mob

00:45:24.519 --> 00:45:26.320
that had already attacked Solgos, potentially

00:45:26.320 --> 00:45:28.719
saving his assassin's life from immediate vengeance.

00:45:29.239 --> 00:45:31.880
Incredible presence of mind, but the medical

00:45:31.880 --> 00:45:34.300
situation. Yeah, here's where the medical practices

00:45:34.300 --> 00:45:36.940
of the time and the tragic absence of modern

00:45:36.940 --> 00:45:39.260
infection control played such a critical role

00:45:39.260 --> 00:45:42.179
in his fate. Doctors were unable to locate the

00:45:42.179 --> 00:45:44.280
second bullet, which had penetrated deep into

00:45:44.280 --> 00:45:46.820
his abdomen. And they had an x -ray machine nearby.

00:45:47.480 --> 00:45:50.239
Agonizingly, yes. Despite a primitive x -ray

00:45:50.239 --> 00:45:52.440
machine being present right there on the exposition

00:45:52.440 --> 00:45:55.760
grounds, it was not used. probably due to a lack

00:45:55.760 --> 00:45:58.000
of understanding of its practical application

00:45:58.000 --> 00:46:01.019
or maybe the perceived danger of using it. Oh,

00:46:01.099 --> 00:46:03.900
what could have been? Exactly. Initial optimistic

00:46:03.900 --> 00:46:06.059
bulletins, perhaps born of wishful thinking,

00:46:06.260 --> 00:46:08.199
led cabinet members and Vice President Roosevelt

00:46:08.199 --> 00:46:10.920
to disperse, believing he would recover. But

00:46:10.920 --> 00:46:13.619
on September 13, McKinley's condition rapidly

00:46:13.619 --> 00:46:16.989
deteriorated. Unbeknownst to the doctors, Gangrene,

00:46:17.150 --> 00:46:19.750
this deadly bacterial infection, was growing

00:46:19.750 --> 00:46:22.750
on the walls of his stomach, slowly, irreversibly

00:46:22.750 --> 00:46:25.230
poisoning his blood. So by the evening, by the

00:46:25.230 --> 00:46:27.789
evening, McKinley, with a somber clarity, knew

00:46:27.789 --> 00:46:30.289
he was dying. He famously said, it is useless,

00:46:30.510 --> 00:46:33.510
gentlemen. I think we ought to have prayer. He

00:46:33.510 --> 00:46:35.909
comforted his grieving wife. We are all going,

00:46:36.030 --> 00:46:38.349
we're all going. God's will be done, not ours.

00:46:38.869 --> 00:46:41.010
And found solace in singing part of his favorite

00:46:41.010 --> 00:46:44.329
hymn, Nearer, my God, to thee. William McKinley

00:46:44.329 --> 00:46:47.750
died at 2 .15 a .m. on September 14th, 1901.

00:46:48.190 --> 00:46:50.389
Theodore Roosevelt, having rushed back to Buffalo

00:46:50.389 --> 00:46:52.489
from the Adirondacks, took the oath of office

00:46:52.489 --> 00:46:55.349
later that day, ushering in a new, much more

00:46:55.349 --> 00:46:57.829
dynamic era. And Cholgos. Cholgos was swiftly

00:46:57.829 --> 00:46:59.969
tried, found guilty, and executed by electric

00:46:59.969 --> 00:47:03.070
chair on October 29th, 1901, just over a month

00:47:03.070 --> 00:47:05.739
after the assassination. The nation was plunged

00:47:05.739 --> 00:47:08.480
into this profound wave of genuine grief and

00:47:08.480 --> 00:47:10.820
mourning. His casket lay in state in the capital,

00:47:11.079 --> 00:47:13.420
a symbol of national sorrow, then was transported

00:47:13.420 --> 00:47:16.539
by train to Canton and Ohio, with countless Americans

00:47:16.539 --> 00:47:19.559
lining the tracks. Approximately 100 ,000 people

00:47:19.559 --> 00:47:21.880
viewed his open casket in Washington and an equal

00:47:21.880 --> 00:47:23.860
number in Canton, a testament to his immense

00:47:23.860 --> 00:47:26.440
popularity. He was ultimately interred in the

00:47:26.440 --> 00:47:29.610
Grand McKinley National Memorial in Canton. And

00:47:29.610 --> 00:47:32.070
Ida McKinley, despite expectations she would

00:47:32.070 --> 00:47:34.789
quickly follow him, she showed remarkable resilience.

00:47:35.329 --> 00:47:38.030
She survived her husband, living until 1907,

00:47:38.530 --> 00:47:40.590
maintaining a shrine in her house, frequently

00:47:40.590 --> 00:47:42.849
visiting his vault, remaining devoted until her

00:47:42.849 --> 00:47:45.539
own passing. Memorials to McKinley are numerous,

00:47:45.539 --> 00:47:48.079
reflecting his historical importance. There are

00:47:48.079 --> 00:47:50.300
prominent monuments in Columbus and his birthplace

00:47:50.300 --> 00:47:53.619
of Niles, many schools named in his honor. However,

00:47:53.679 --> 00:47:56.239
his legacy isn't without its controversies. It's

00:47:56.239 --> 00:47:58.539
shifting interpretations, right? Definitely.

00:47:58.679 --> 00:48:01.079
The naming of Denali in Alaska is Mount McKinley

00:48:01.079 --> 00:48:04.380
in 1896, its subsequent renaming back to Denali

00:48:04.380 --> 00:48:07.260
by the Obama administration in 2015, followed

00:48:07.260 --> 00:48:09.480
by President Trump's executive order to restore

00:48:09.480 --> 00:48:11.980
the McKinley name in 2025, as of our current

00:48:11.980 --> 00:48:13.630
date. Yeah, that whole debate. It highlights

00:48:13.630 --> 00:48:16.250
the fluid cultural and historical lenses through

00:48:16.250 --> 00:48:19.090
which we view figures like McKinley. This ongoing

00:48:19.090 --> 00:48:21.329
debate about a mountain's name underscores deeper

00:48:21.329 --> 00:48:24.190
questions about historical recognition, indigenous

00:48:24.190 --> 00:48:26.909
rights, and national identity. Historically,

00:48:26.989 --> 00:48:30.050
McKinley died the most beloved president in history,

00:48:30.510 --> 00:48:33.690
a genuinely popular figure. But Theodore Roosevelt

00:48:33.690 --> 00:48:36.449
quickly captured public attention with his vibrant

00:48:36.449 --> 00:48:40.329
personality, his progressive agenda. And by 1920,

00:48:40.530 --> 00:48:43.030
McKinley's administration was often deemed maybe

00:48:43.030 --> 00:48:46.610
unfairly, a mediocre prelude to Roosevelt's figure.

00:48:46.889 --> 00:48:49.809
But that view changed. Yeah. More favorable evaluations

00:48:49.809 --> 00:48:52.170
began to emerge in the 1950s, though he generally

00:48:52.170 --> 00:48:54.590
ranks kind of in the middle of presidents in

00:48:54.590 --> 00:48:57.090
historical surveys. Some historians argue he

00:48:57.090 --> 00:48:58.730
followed public opinion more than he let it,

00:48:58.730 --> 00:49:01.369
which in some evaluations can affect his ranking

00:49:01.369 --> 00:49:03.570
as a truly transformative leader. Interesting

00:49:03.570 --> 00:49:06.329
point. Indeed. But there's broad agreement among

00:49:06.329 --> 00:49:08.570
historians that his election was a truly pivotal

00:49:08.570 --> 00:49:11.210
transition between political eras from the turbulent

00:49:11.210 --> 00:49:13.329
third to the state. stable fourth party systems.

00:49:14.050 --> 00:49:16.190
It fundamentally reshaped American politics.

00:49:16.670 --> 00:49:19.030
Karl Rove, a prominent political strategist,

00:49:19.449 --> 00:49:21.710
even exalted McKinley as a model for successful

00:49:21.710 --> 00:49:23.909
political realignment. And his administration

00:49:23.909 --> 00:49:27.420
fostered future leaders. Absolutely. His administration

00:49:27.420 --> 00:49:29.820
cultivated and fostered individuals who would

00:49:29.820 --> 00:49:32.079
go on to dominate the Republican Party for a

00:49:32.079 --> 00:49:34.179
quarter century after his death. People like

00:49:34.179 --> 00:49:36.820
Cordell U., Charles Dawes, who later became vice

00:49:36.820 --> 00:49:38.980
president, William R. Day, who served on the

00:49:38.980 --> 00:49:41.619
Supreme Court, and William Howard Kaft, who later

00:49:41.619 --> 00:49:45.119
became president. Right. And as a direct, tragic

00:49:45.119 --> 00:49:47.539
consequence of his assassination, the U .S. Secret

00:49:47.539 --> 00:49:49.599
Service's presidential protection duties were

00:49:49.599 --> 00:49:52.179
initiated, irrevocably changing how American

00:49:52.179 --> 00:49:55.730
presidents are safeguarded. His territorial expansion,

00:49:56.309 --> 00:49:58.409
undeniably the defining feature of his presidency,

00:49:59.070 --> 00:50:01.329
remains a controversial aspect of his legacy,

00:50:01.710 --> 00:50:03.929
often seen as the beginning of an American empire.

00:50:04.690 --> 00:50:06.570
The U .S. still retains most of the territories

00:50:06.570 --> 00:50:08.789
taken under McKinley, with the notable exception

00:50:08.789 --> 00:50:11.289
of the Philippines, which finally gained independence

00:50:11.289 --> 00:50:14.829
in 1946 after a complex, often difficult period

00:50:14.829 --> 00:50:17.940
under American rule. Right. And historians continue

00:50:17.940 --> 00:50:20.059
to debate his motivations for this expansion.

00:50:20.900 --> 00:50:23.420
Was it driven by humanitarian concerns, economic

00:50:23.420 --> 00:50:27.340
interests, a belief in manifest destiny? And

00:50:27.340 --> 00:50:29.579
critically, what were the profound implications

00:50:29.579 --> 00:50:31.920
of this expansion for America's identity, its

00:50:31.920 --> 00:50:34.440
role in the world, and for the peoples in those

00:50:34.440 --> 00:50:37.079
annexed territories? Yeah. If we connect this

00:50:37.079 --> 00:50:39.380
to the bigger picture, McKinley's presidency

00:50:39.380 --> 00:50:41.800
isn't just some chapter in history. It's really

00:50:41.800 --> 00:50:44.340
a foundational text for understanding America's

00:50:44.340 --> 00:50:47.360
modern economic, political, and global identity.

00:50:48.139 --> 00:50:50.260
He presided over an administration characterized

00:50:50.260 --> 00:50:52.579
by conservative policies and foreign policy,

00:50:53.059 --> 00:50:55.400
a complex and often inaction -driven approach

00:50:55.400 --> 00:50:57.880
to civil rights, and a decidedly laissez -faire

00:50:57.880 --> 00:51:00.159
approach to government intervention in the economy.

00:51:00.260 --> 00:51:02.679
He wasn't passive, though. No, not at all. He

00:51:02.679 --> 00:51:05.099
wasn't a passive figure. He was an active, informed

00:51:05.099 --> 00:51:07.849
participant. whose decisions shaped future policies,

00:51:08.190 --> 00:51:10.570
public attitudes, the very trajectory of the

00:51:10.570 --> 00:51:13.409
nation. His choices resonate even today in debates

00:51:13.409 --> 00:51:15.630
about national power, interventionism versus

00:51:15.630 --> 00:51:17.969
isolationism, and the balance between economic

00:51:17.969 --> 00:51:20.289
growth and social justice. So what does this

00:51:20.289 --> 00:51:22.949
deep dive into William McKinley mean for us today?

00:51:23.550 --> 00:51:25.550
We've explored a president caught between an

00:51:25.550 --> 00:51:29.130
old, post -Civil War America and a rapidly burgeoning

00:51:29.130 --> 00:51:32.559
global power. He navigated immense economic shifts

00:51:32.559 --> 00:51:35.480
and profound personal tragedies with this kind

00:51:35.480 --> 00:51:38.340
of quiet dignity Mm -hmm He was a man who despite

00:51:38.340 --> 00:51:40.940
a humble start and immense personal loss led

00:51:40.940 --> 00:51:43.159
the nation through a period of dramatic expansion

00:51:43.159 --> 00:51:45.980
and economic transformation Leaving an indelible

00:51:45.980 --> 00:51:48.099
mark and this raises an important question. I

00:51:48.099 --> 00:51:50.750
think that echoes through time In an age of rapid

00:51:50.750 --> 00:51:53.469
global change shifting moral landscapes, how

00:51:53.469 --> 00:51:55.989
much do we truly understand the long -term, the

00:51:55.989 --> 00:51:58.570
ripple effect, consequences of our leaders' decisions?

00:51:59.010 --> 00:52:01.150
Especially when those decisions don't just shape

00:52:01.150 --> 00:52:03.730
a single nation, but influence an entire century.

00:52:03.889 --> 00:52:05.719
That's a powerful thought. Think about how his

00:52:05.719 --> 00:52:08.239
decisions on tariffs continue to shape global

00:52:08.239 --> 00:52:10.760
trade discussions, or how the acquisition of

00:52:10.760 --> 00:52:13.119
overseas territories still impacts geopolitical

00:52:13.119 --> 00:52:15.460
alliances and debates about national sovereignty

00:52:15.460 --> 00:52:18.539
even now. What might America look like today

00:52:18.539 --> 00:52:20.980
if he had lived to serve his full second term,

00:52:21.300 --> 00:52:22.820
maybe guiding the nation through the initial

00:52:22.820 --> 00:52:25.500
stages of the progressive era, or if he had chosen

00:52:25.500 --> 00:52:28.199
a different, less expansionist path? back in

00:52:28.199 --> 00:52:31.639
1898. His story compels us, I think, to consider

00:52:31.639 --> 00:52:34.179
the powerful, often unseen echoes of the past

00:52:34.179 --> 00:52:35.559
right here in our present reality.