Click2History - The Assassination of President McKinley - Chapter 2

<body link="0000ff" alink="ff0000" vlink="000000" bgcolor=000033> <table width="100%" bgcolor=000033> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <table width=90% bgcolor=ffffff> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <tr> <td> <div align=center><p><b><font face="arial, helvetica" size=5 color=000000><b>ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT MCKINLEY</p> <p><font size=4>CHAPTER 2 - A POPULAR PRESIDENT</font></p> </font> </div> <center> <table width="90%"> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <div align="justify"> <p><font face="arial, helvetica" color="000000" size="3">William <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/cph/3a00000/3a08000/3a08900/3a08932r.jpg" target="_blank"><b>McKinley</b></a>, "Attorney at <a href="http://www.history.ohio-state.edu/projects/mckinley/!july1.gif" target="_blank"><b>Law</b></a>," defeated William Jennings Bryant in the 1896 election. (The link takes you to a handwritten letter on his law firm stationery.) The <a href="http://www.history.ohio-state.edu/projects/mckinley/Soldiers_1897.jpg" target="_blank"><b>new</b></a> President came <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/cph/3a00000/3a04000/3a04200/3a04210r.jpg" target="_blank"><b>to Washington</b></a> with tremendous popular support.</p> <p>He also came to Washington with a wife - <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a53000/3a53300/3a53351r.jpg" target="_blank"><b>Ida</b></a> Saxton McKinley - who had been in poor health for years. Deeply <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/im25.html" target="_blank"><b>in love</b></a>, McKinley and Ida supported each other. Even while running for President, the candidate stayed <a href="http://www.history.ohio-state.edu/projects/mckinley/train.gif" target="_blank"><b>close</b></a> to Ida’s side. He received political delegations on the front <a href="http://www.iath.virginia.edu/seminar/unit8/porch.jpg" target="_blank"><b>porch</b></a> of their home in Canton, Ohio. People liked that about him.</p> <p>After he was elected, McKinley consistently broke White House protocol to remain near <a href="http://www.boondocksnet.com/stereo/sv104f.html" target="_blank"><b>Ida</b></a>. They even sat together at State Dinners. The President was known for his exemplary character, quick intelligence and endearing personality. According to "<a href="http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/Brent/participation/timelines/congress/cannon.jpg" target="_blank"><b>Uncle Joe" Cannon</b></a>, future Speaker of the House, McKinley kept his ear so close to the ground it was full of grasshoppers. </p> <p>People loved McKinley. The first President of the 20th century was <a href="http://www.multied.com/elections/elects/1900.gif" target="_blank"><b>reelected</b></a> to a second term in 1900.</p> </div> <p align="center"><font size="2"><a href="president_mckinley_ch1.htm">GO TO LAST CHAPTER</a>   <a href="president_mckinley_ch3.htm">GO TO NEXT CHAPTER</a></p><br> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </body>